[StBernard] Grand Opening of Animal Control Shelter in Violet held January 11

[Westley Annis]

Grand Opening of Animal Control Shelter in Violet held January 11

Expanded facility built with FEMA funds and a HSUS grant

 

St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro Jr., along with FEMA and a
host of officials, celebrated Recovery and Growth in St. Bernard Parish with
a grand opening ceremony at the site of the new Animal Control facility at
5455 E. Judge Perez Drive in Violet. 

 

The state of the art facility replaces the original shelter destroyed during
Hurricane Katrina, and was built with a $250,000 grant from The Humane
Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection
organization. 

 

"I am happy to get to the finish line with the project and extremely
grateful for the partnership with HSUS, LASPCA, Meraux Foundation and our
local team," President Taffaro said. "This shelter project offers St.
Bernard a state-of-the-art animal control facility that can house more
animals and provide better services in more central and easily accessible
location." 

 

"The completion of the new shelter is a major step in The Humane Society of
the United States' ongoing efforts to help the Gulf Coast Region rebuild in
the aftermath of Katrina," said Melissa Rubin, The HSUS' vice president for
animal care centers and veterinary services. "We have worked closely with
St. Bernard Parish officials since the storm devastated the shelter, and we
are proud to have assisted in making their dream of rebuilding a reality."

 

Mike Karl, Acting Deputy Director of Programs for FEMA's Louisiana
Transitional Recovery Office, echoed his support and promised to continue
FEMA's partnership in St. Bernard's recovery. 

 

The construction on the Animal Control facility that will sit on 3.23 acres
will be nearly twice as large as the pre-Katrina shelter and will cost
$1,251,430 to be paid for with FEMA funds, insurance proceeds and a $250,000
grant from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). 

 

The new facility has many new amenities that all that meet the national
standards, including better drainage, isolation holding cages to separate
healthy animals from the sick ones. It has indoor and outdoor holding cages
as well as a large play area with equipment in front and back of the
building.

 

The shelter is being moved from its current location on Agriculture Street
off of Paris Road in Chalmette to Judge Perez in Violet where it will be
located on higher land and easily accessible to the public.

 

The land the shelter will sit on has been donated to St. Bernard Parish
Government by the Joseph and Arlene Meraux Charitable Foundation. 

 

"This is another instance whereby the Foundation is simply following the
wishes of the late Arlene Meraux as it has in other areas such as providing
space for the current medical clinic, the proposed new hospital, the
temporary library and a considerable donation for the cultural arts center
that will be completed in the near future, and many other donations," said
Floyd Gue of the Meraux Foundation. 

The shelter will also be receiving a new custom-built truck purchased by The
HSUS and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsR at a
cost of more than $80,000.

 

The truck, a Sprinter with 24 built-in animal carriers was built by Mavron,
Inc. of Warsaw, Ind., the country's leading manufacturer of animal transport
van and truck conversions. This vehicle will help the Shelter bring
adoptable animals to larger population areas where they will have a better
chance of finding homes. 

 

Besides being the major grantor of money for the new shelter and providing
the truck in conjunction with the ASPCA, The HSUS is also assisting the
Parish with the funding of the shelter's executive director position for
three years.

 

At the event Monday, Lou Guyton of ASPCA, said she was glad her organization
could help with the director's salary and the mobile transport vehicle.

"Not only will it be used to evacuate animals during hurricanes, but it will
also be able to be used as a mobile adoption center," Guyton said. 

Braithwaite Construction is the contractor, and Meyer Engineers is the firm
responsible for the design. Drayfus Guient of Chester Engineers is the
project manager as part of the CDM team that is providing oversight for all
FEMA-funded projects in St. Bernard. Rick Stierwald of the St. Bernard
Parish Department of Public Works is the project manager and resident
inspector.

 

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal
protection organization - backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every
28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the
protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs.
Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at
humanesociety.org <http://www.humanesociety.org/> . 

 

The shelter will be open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Off-site adoptions are held on Saturdays. For more information about the
shelter, call 278-1534.

For more information about Recovery and Growth in St. Bernard Parish, visit
our website at www.sbpg.net.

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