A message from The Board of Directors and the CEO of the Western Arizona Humane Society
One of the greatest aspects of animal welfare is the compassion we see from our volunteer, staff and donors. There have been a multitude of conversations, allegations and opinions regarding the operating functions of the Western Arizona Humane Society (WAHS). Unfortunately, along with these issues, there is misinformation that is being disseminated as facts. WAHS Board of Directors and dedicated staff continue to provide compassionate exceptional care for the animals in our community. Thank you to the many supporters and donors that have met with us to clarify the issues and continue, through their spirit of generosity, provide necessary resources for our shelter guests.
Why don’t you just have a fundraiser and put in Air Conditioning in the kennels?
Our adoption kennels are over 30 years old, and the stray building over 20 years old. Neither of these facilities were designed to accommodate an HVAC system. How we provide air flow for health concerns is different for dogs, cats and humans. All of our cat areas have specialized air systems that provide specific criteria and reduce the possibility of cross contamination. Our dog kennels are indoor/outdoor kennels that provide air flow that minimizes potential group housing diseases. We also provide swamp cooling in the summer months, and the interior of kennels is approximately 30 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. We have completed an extensive engineering evaluation from Design Learned, who are the experts in remediation of shelter facilities. The evaluation addresses many of the shortcomings of the existing facility compared to current design parameters for group housing. Based on these recommendations and evaluations we are actively in the design specification stage to determine actual costs and benefits to providing HVAC to both buildings.
What do you mean by “actual costs and benefits”?
For example, we are currently “maxed” on electric availability at our current 200 amp service. We would need to upgrade to a 600 amp/3 phase service to accommodate major renovations. Insulated kennel doors with flaps are $425 per unit and we would need 45 units. We also are working with Unisource to determine what the usage fees would be based on peak periods of demand. At the same time, we are analyzing what the return would be if we made such a major investment. How many degrees difference would we achieve by installing this system, and what extra precautions do we need to implement for overall animal health.
What do you do for the dogs in the winter when it is cold and windy?
Each kennel is designed with indoor/outdoor space. The outdoor space is protected with a 5 foot brick wall and wind screens on the chain link above that. Each dog gets fresh blankets daily (that’s why we appreciate all of the blanket donations), a raised platform bed, and sweaters and/or t-shirts for the short hair dogs more susceptible to winter temperatures. We do temperature reading 3 times a day, and our animal care technicians are with the animals from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm for observation. Although some dogs “shake” that is not always an indication of their being cold. Some small breeds, predominately Chi’s shake regardless of temperature.
These are just a few of issues that continue to come to light, although we have provided information, documentation and reports. (www. westernarizonahumane.org) We encourage you, as the public, if you have specific question, we will be happy to address your concerns. We are simply the caretakers and voice for those that can not speak for themselves.