Our animal shelter has made some great improvements over the past few years, but the one project that was still needed was a true isolation building. This building would provide a separate area to treat our dogs in need of extra medical care and to house stray dogs while they waited for their medical check up.
We were using an older building as a temporary isolation/overflow area. The building had four runs but no heating or air-conditiong; the walls and ceiling were showing their age.
Our plan started as a possible remodeling effort but the amount of work and supplies needed made it impractical. We began looking at a possible new building and contacted several firms for quotes. Our first contact was R.A. Jones, Inc. Building and Remodeling. The year before, Mr.Robert Jones donated three days of labor, which we put to good use. Mr. Jones met with us several times while we were planning the isolation runs. He accepted our ideas and had the plans drawn professionally at no cost. He offered to build the isolation run with the assistance of his sub-contractors to work and donate some of their labor or materials cost.
The team began working in January and by March, most of the building was substantially completed. The team was very polite and professional; they had as much regard for the isolation runs as they would for a mansion.
The building has three complete runs with full temperature control. Concrete block walls separate each run with a good size window for light. The walls and floors have been specially treated for ease of cleaning and sanitizing. Our volunteer maintenance team is now completing the outside of the building by installing fencing and inserting doggy doors.
Plans are in the works for a ribbon cutting ceremony for our contractor friends to show our deep appreciation for their excellent work. Of course the volunteers will share in the celebration with a featured pup or two.
(Taken from Animal Aid Newsletter, Summer 2012, https://animalaid-va.org/PDF_Forms/Animal_Aid_NL_Summer.pdf)
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