PENDLETON COUNTY, Ky. — The Pendleton County Animal Shelter has cut the ribbon on a new facility on Ed Monroe Road, replacing its prior aging building.
John Bloomfield, director of the Pendleton County Animal Shelter, said the old building had long struggled to meet basic needs for the animals in its care.
"The building itself, we're starting to fall apart," Bloomfield said. "We don't have adequate ventilation. The air conditioning, especially this time of year, is (inadequate)."
The now-old shelter building also sat next to the county landfill, which officials say brought rat and mouse infestations into the building alongside the animals.
"They would eat through bags of food and everything, so we had to move all our bags of food into garbage cans, metal cans, that way to keep our food so we can feed our dogs," Bloomfield said.
WCPO 9 sat down with Pendleton County Judge/Executive David Fields to ask why the shelter was originally placed next to the landfill.
"That I really don't know, cause I wasn't on the physical court. Back at that time," Fields said. "I think there was some land that was actually, I don't know if it was donated or whether it was purchased from the, from Rumpke. I'm not sure what played into that."
WATCH: Pendleton County hopes to improve animal comfort at new animal control building
The new facility on Ed Monroe Road offers significant improvements for the animals. Belinda Perry of the Humane Society of Northern Kentucky said the upgrade changes daily life for the dogs.
"Our animals are now able to have indoor-outdoor access," Perry said. "Before, they were not able to do that; they were confined almost 24/7."
Janet Scanlon, also of the Humane Society of Northern Kentucky, described the amenities at the new building.
"All the dogs have indoor/outdoor kennels. They have the exercise pens out there, and then they have the play yards in the back," Scanlon said.
The project was made possible by $300,000 in county funding and $800,000 in donations raised by the Humane Society of Northern Kentucky.
Perry said the new facility marks a major step forward for the shelter and the animals it serves.
"Everything is an upgrade, so we're really excited about it," Perry said.
You can find more information about the new facility on the Humane Society website by clicking here.
