Tallahassee-Leon animal shelter asking for help, renovations may disrupt normal operations

The Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Services Center is asking the community for help as upcoming renovations raise concerns over staffing levels and animal safety.

At a recent city commission meeting, volunteers and residents involved with the shelter spoke during public comment to express mixed feelings of gratefulness and concern over the upcoming project.

The joint city-county shelter houses the usual dogs and cats but it is also home, for instance, to bunnies and sometimes exotic animals, like birds.

Originally slated to begin fall 2023 , work has now been pushed back to this fall, with an estimated timeline of nine months to a year. The renovations are one of many ongoing Blueprint projects, with the organization giving $3.8 million for the upgrades, a majority of them taking place in the Dog Adoption Ward.

Shelter director Erika Leckington told a reporter she plans to release a "media package" soon, with more information and details on adoption and fostering to thin out the animals needing to be sheltered on site while work takes place.

Animal shelter renovations discussed since 2021

According to previous reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat , in 2021 a Colorado-based company, Animal Arts, completed an independent assessment, finding ways to ensure better health among animals and contribute to a better customer experience.

Three specific items for upcoming renovations are:

• Large dog kennel renovations
• Shelter medicine area renovations
• Addition of quarantine ward

Animal Arts found that roughly $2.97 million was needed. In March 2023, Blueprint authorized the procurement of construction services and $3.8 million in funding.

Katherine Maiorana, a member of the Tallahassee Animal Services Advisory Council who also volunteers at the shelter, said renovations are going to put stress not just on the animals but the staff too. She offered up to the commission some possible solutions before extending an invitation for them to visit.

Maiorana asked for the commission's "ongoing support" through the project, which she said could look like "an experienced project manager to help the shelter during the construction period, (or) it could be additional HR support (as) the shelter has been down five positions consistently."

Kate MacFall, the Florida director of the Humane Society of the United States, said her concern is going to be the Dog Adoption Ward, noting that it has 50 kennels, some of them housing two dogs each.

"I would have much preferred that staff tell the contractor how many kennels are needed, than the other way around," MacFall said about the assessment. "Asking the staff to manage these animal populations with far fewer spaces for dogs is really tough. They have to make tough decisions."

MacFall said that the struggles in shelters spans across the state and is intensified due to "fewer families looking to adopt medium and large dogs."

The shelter is still weeks away from beginning construction, but the city commission asked shelter staff to provide an update as they get closer to the start date.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee-Leon animal shelter asking for help, renovations may disrupt normal operations