DELHI - New dog kennels and floors were recently installed at the Heart of the Catskill Humane Society in Delhi.
The project was “a long time in the making,” Director Deb Crute said. The project was proposed two years ago and scheduled to begin in May, but was delayed due to material delays, Crute said. The work began Sept. 12 and took three weeks to complete.
Midmark Mason Kennels installed the kennels, and Permatek installed the flooring and wall coatings, Crute said.
The former cracked, cement floors made cleaning a challenge, Crute said. The floors were replaced and coated with an epoxy coating used in animal shelters and hospitals, according to Crute, and provides slip-resistance, making for easier cleaning.
“We love the floor! It’s amazing how much it brightens the space up,” Crute said, “And we’re all in awe at how shiny the kennels are. We call this place the ‘Doggy Hilton.’”
Crute called the old kennels “dingy, but functional.” The new kennels are the same size - 12 feet by 6 feet by 12 feet, but some are outfitted with a “transfer door,” Crute said. The transfer door is opened using a pulley, with a bone-shaped handle, positioned outside the kennel, and opens a small door between two kennels. “If we have a mom with puppies, or two dogs who get along really well, we can easily allow them to come together or separate them,” Crute explained.
Tops were also added to prevent dogs from scaling the 12 foot kennels, Crute said. “We never know if a new dog is going to be a jumper, so we decided to take that out of the equation.”
The upgrades were “costly,” Crute said, and were funded using grant money, including $2,000 awarded to the shelter last June from Upstate Shredding through the Southern Tier Tuesdays grant program, and planned giving.
During the upgrade project, the shelter remained open, Crute said. Eight dogs were boarded at two area kennels, a few dogs were fostered, and five dogs stayed on-site and comfortable between the outdoor play areas and additional space indoors.
For more information visit heartofthecatskills.org.