PASCO, Wash. – The city of Pasco is making strides in animal care with the construction of a new $6 million animal shelter. The current facility, dating back to the 1950s, is outdated and struggles to meet today’s demands.
Animal Services plans to have the new building operational by January. Ben Zigan, the animal services manager for Pasco, emphasized the need for new facilities.
“The big upgrades we have going on now is we have industrial washers and dryers,” Zigan said. “We’re going to have an industrial dishwasher which is going to cut staff time down from having to do dishes. Right now, you know, they’re soaking, washing, rinsing, and drying. Now a machine is going to do that in two minutes.”
Plans for the new shelter have been in the works for a decade. Once completed, it will offer enhanced medical services for animals, including spays, neuters, amputations, and more intensive surgeries.
Zigan says the new facility plans on getting X-ray machines and ultrasound systems to improve their medical care as well.
“We’re going through with our list of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment to order to stock up that building. The layout is a little different than this building. So we just need to make some adjustments and some changes to see where we’re going to put stuff,” Zigan said.
The facility will also include sound dampeners to reduce stress from barking dogs. Workers will have improved amenities, such as a bigger break room.
Animal Services does not plan on hiring more staff since the new building will only have a small increase in capacity. The new building focuses on more space, cleaner and updated areas, and better facilities.
More information about Animal Services and the shelter can be found here.
