Tulare County Animal Services Holds Open House

Tulare County Animal Services’ shelter officially completed their renovation on March 10, 2016, after a nearly six month remodel. This project was long overdue; the original shelter was built more than 20 years ago and no longer accommodated the growing number of animals housed there. 

Additionally, the shelter had broken down in spots due to the daily application of harsh cleaning materials. The risk of animal escapes and the health of both animals, and staff made it imperative to complete much needed renovations.

The canine section of the shelter was completely renovated, including all new color coded kennels to differentiate between adoptable, stray hold, and quarantined pets. The new kennels are designed to be much easier to clean and sanitize, in addition to providing clear information to the public on which dogs are available for immediate adoption and which ones could potentially be fostered.

The facility was expanded to include an isolation room for ill, medicated, or birthing cats, and a canine isolation room for housing puppies and mothers with newborns to protect them from illnesses normally found in the general population. The newly added treatment room will allow veterinarians to work onsite to provide immediate attention to ill or injured animals and perform onsite spaying and neutering. 

Lastly, the back of the shelter was renovated to better support the onsite laundry and cleaning facilities, and the purchase of a new incinerator allowed for the replacement of the out of commission incinerator.

The remodeled shelter will enable Animal Services to provide the residents of the County better service by providing a more organized, professional looking shelter and more importantly, providing a healthier animal population for residents to adopt.

In addition to the renovations and as part of Animal Services restructuring and rebranding efforts, the County’s Animal Control ordinances were updated, Tulare County Animal Services Advisory Committee By-Laws were adopted, Animal Services website tcanimalservices.org was launched, and new logos were developed.

All of these things combined has resulted in a far greater emphasis on community engagement, enhanced and expanded services, and organizational transparency.

During the Open House held on May 13, Animal Services placed 63 animals through the adoption and foster-to-adopt program.