New animal shelter is needed

The new animal shelter is almost complete and is definitely needed in the Dickinson County area.

Spring Lake Animal Shelter, located on Shelter Drive off M-95 in Iron Mountain, opened its doors in the 1970’s.

When one walks in the building, the smell of animal feces is pungent in the air as there is not a proper ventilation system installed. The shelter is stuffy, small and outdated.

Dog kennels are not heated and an overpopulation of cats fill the cages at the shelter.

Besides that, small animals, such as bunnies, sometimes have to share cages with the cats.

Because not everybody spays or neuters their animals, there are too many unwanted kittens and puppies residing at the animal shelter.

I have toured the new shelter, located at the intersection of Highway 141 and Lincoln Avenue/Breitung Cutoff Road, and personally cannot wait until it opens.

The new shelter will provide so much more for the animals. The animals are temporarily housed there before their new owners adopt them; hence the new name, “Almost Home Animal Shelter.”

The new shelter will have a ventilation system, dogs and cats will have larger cages and better living conditions, all dogs and cats will be spayed and neutered before leaving the shelter, and members of the community will want to visit the shelter. An hopefully more cats and dogs will be adopted sooner.

Those who do not think the new shelter is needed should tour the current shelter and then voice an opinion.