Wake County Animal Center is temporarily closing soon for repairs. This comes after the State's Animal Welfare Section conducted an investigation on the shelter.
The probe found several violations including failure to replace damaged water receptacles, which was a direct cause of the injury and euthanasia of a dog last year. The shelter also had to pay a $1,400 fine.
The Community Outreach Manager at the Wake County center, Meagan Frost, said the areas identified during the investigation will be getting repaired. “We are replacing the chipped paint, because now you've got a very porous-y surface where, if we weren't as stringent and diligent in our deep cleaning practices, that's where disease could hide,” said Frost. Meanwhile, some services at the shelter will close temporarily and others will still remain available until the center reopens in March.
“We will be closed for all intake, for all intents and purposes, for the public,” she said. “We are the only organization that has contracts with all five Animal Control jurisdictions. So Animal Control will still be operational, however, they will be operating on emergency only.”
During the closure, up to 80 dogs and puppies will be moved to an off-site private boarding facility. The move will help create more space for renovations. The dogs will return when the center reopens. The center has 251 animals and an additional 135 in foster care. Those counts include cats, puppies, ferrets, and kittens. Frost said the shelter will officially close on Friday and is expected to reopen by March 2. She said they are planning to launch a landing page online to keep the public updated about what's going on with the center moving forward. For more information, visit wake.gov.
