New Porter County shelter set to open in June
Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
December 02, 2016 - 5:46PM
With exterior walls up, the interior of the new Porter County Animal Shelter is getting its due.
Skylights for more natural light for animals and people. A separate area for small-breed dogs. An area for glassed-in displays in the entranceway for puppies and kittens up for adoption. Office space for employees. A surgical area for spay/neuter procedures. And so much more.
After years of discussion and consideration of an assortment of different locations, county officials decided on county-owned land between the sheriff's department and the Expo Center for a shelter to replace the one at 2056 Heavilin Road, which they have long said is too small and outdated.
"I think it's going to be really nice," said Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who has helped shepherd the project. "On top of being three times bigger, it's going to be many more times healthier for both the people and the animals."
A Friday tour of the new building, led by Marc Bozetarnik, a construction superintendent with Larson-Danielson Construction, showed what the facility will have to offer.
Construction began in August and much the work should be complete by mid-March, he said, which will give shelter officials time to put in place the kennels and other equipment they need to open the shelter by June 1.
At $3.25 million, the shelter is being paid for with $2.25 million in proceeds from the sale of the county hospital and a $1 million private donation by Jacki Stutzman, Blaney's aunt.
The new shelter, at 16,000 square feet, will have the capacity for 120 dogs and 120 cats.
"We think it's state of the art," Bozetarnik said, adding the facility is Larson-Danielson's design and the firm was awarded the contract by commissioners through a design/build process.
The building will feature a sophisticated air exchange system, bringing fresh air into the building every 10 minutes to control odors and limit disease, he said, adding it's the facility's most expensive feature.
"You're looking at the design and there are certain features in this building that are very unusual and cater to the pets, disease control and things you don't think about," he said, adding this is the first animal shelter he's worked on.
Bozetarnik has visited the current shelter and said a new one is "long overdue."
"It's just been really rough for them to do what they need to do there," he said.
The amenities, Blaney said, will make for happier animals and when animals are stressed less, they are less likely to be ill. That, in turn, will make them more adoptable.
"This will be so much better," she said. "It's going to be everything we were hoping it would be and so much more."
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