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Shelter in the dark as it cares for pets
  
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By KASSIA MICEK
Several hundred of Hurricane Ike’s victims are riding out the storm’s aftermath in the dark as of Tuesday
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter is caring for nearly 450 animals and is in dire need of volunteers to foster animals until power is restored, said LaJeane Thompson, shelter administrative manager.
“We’re having to do everything by flashlight,” Thompson said about cleaning the kennels daily.
Without electricity or a generator to run the septic tank – the facility got running water Monday – the shelter is cleaning kennels daily in the dark, picking up solid waste by hand and flushing the floors with water, Thompson said.
“I don’t know how long I can take it,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”
Without the luxury of power, cleaning the facility every day is taking a toll on employees and volunteers.
It took three hours without volunteers to clean a single room at the shelter, which has several separate rooms to house hundreds of animals. Once volunteers arrived, cleanup took about one hour per room.
“The first few days we had to use water from the parking lot,” Thompson said about cleaning the kennels without a working water well or electricity.
Although the facility has not had to make many animal control calls, it has not been able to dispose of animals since it does not have the power to operate a refrigerator or incinerator. The shelter’s policy is to keep animals one week before they are euthanized.
“Most of the people who bring animals in, we’re telling them the animals are better at their homes,” Thompson said. “Anyone that comes here asking to help, we’re asking them to take an animal home (to foster). … It’ll be one less animal we have to clean up after.”
Many animals are finding sanctuaries at foster homes throughout the county, such as T.J. Kilponen’s Woodlands residence.
Her family has taken in three dogs as foster animals since Monday.
“We came to volunteer but they’re closed,” Kilponen said Tuesday afternoon outside the shelter as she walked a black puppy. “So, we’ll take this guy home and come back here in the morning.”
Kilponen learned about the animal shelter’s plight from her friend, Michelle Barrell, who is fostering two birds, two cats and one dog, she said.
“We just like to come and volunteer,” Barrell said.
Kilponen encourages anyone who can to volunteer with the animal shelter.
“Come on down, take some dogs, baby-sit them for a few days,” she said. “They just need what everybody else does: a bath, food, water and love.”
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter, located at 8535 Texas 242, is in need of dog food and cat litter. Items can be dropped off inside the shelter from 8 a.m. to noon, the items can be placed by the front door in a plastic bag during off-hours.
The facility does not have a working telephone as of Tuesday.
How to help
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter, located at 8535 Texas 242, is in need of dog food and cat litter. Items can be dropped off inside the shelter from 8 a.m. to noon or placed by the front door in a plastic bag during off hours.
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter is caring for nearly 450 animals and is in dire need of volunteers to foster animals until power is restored, said LaJeane Thompson, shelter administrative manager.
“We’re having to do everything by flashlight,” Thompson said about cleaning the kennels daily.
Without electricity or a generator to run the septic tank – the facility got running water Monday – the shelter is cleaning kennels daily in the dark, picking up solid waste by hand and flushing the floors with water, Thompson said.
“I don’t know how long I can take it,” she said. “I’m exhausted.”
Without the luxury of power, cleaning the facility every day is taking a toll on employees and volunteers.
It took three hours without volunteers to clean a single room at the shelter, which has several separate rooms to house hundreds of animals. Once volunteers arrived, cleanup took about one hour per room.
“The first few days we had to use water from the parking lot,” Thompson said about cleaning the kennels without a working water well or electricity.
Although the facility has not had to make many animal control calls, it has not been able to dispose of animals since it does not have the power to operate a refrigerator or incinerator. The shelter’s policy is to keep animals one week before they are euthanized.
“Most of the people who bring animals in, we’re telling them the animals are better at their homes,” Thompson said. “Anyone that comes here asking to help, we’re asking them to take an animal home (to foster). … It’ll be one less animal we have to clean up after.”
Many animals are finding sanctuaries at foster homes throughout the county, such as T.J. Kilponen’s Woodlands residence.
Her family has taken in three dogs as foster animals since Monday.
“We came to volunteer but they’re closed,” Kilponen said Tuesday afternoon outside the shelter as she walked a black puppy. “So, we’ll take this guy home and come back here in the morning.”
Kilponen learned about the animal shelter’s plight from her friend, Michelle Barrell, who is fostering two birds, two cats and one dog, she said.
“We just like to come and volunteer,” Barrell said.
Kilponen encourages anyone who can to volunteer with the animal shelter.
“Come on down, take some dogs, baby-sit them for a few days,” she said. “They just need what everybody else does: a bath, food, water and love.”
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter, located at 8535 Texas 242, is in need of dog food and cat litter. Items can be dropped off inside the shelter from 8 a.m. to noon, the items can be placed by the front door in a plastic bag during off-hours.
The facility does not have a working telephone as of Tuesday.
How to help
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter, located at 8535 Texas 242, is in need of dog food and cat litter. Items can be dropped off inside the shelter from 8 a.m. to noon or placed by the front door in a plastic bag during off hours.
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