One abused puppy found a temporary home in a staff member’s bedroom on Monday because the Lincoln County animal shelter in Libby, Montana, had nowhere else to put it, NBC Montana reported.
The county is now moving forward with plans for a new, larger animal facility at the corner of Park Way and Highway 37 to replace the current cramped building, according to NBC Montana.
The existing shelter is about 2,300 square feet and currently cares for roughly 600 animals each year, leaving the facility entirely at capacity.
Poor ventilation, inadequate heating, no air conditioning, and a faulty drainage system make it impossible to properly clean and sanitize the building or maintain healthy conditions for staff and dogs.
“There’s no way you’re upgrading this facility to the standards that we need,” Zach Sherbo, health manager for Lincoln County, told NBC Montana.
“The ventilation alone is a big factor in this, it causes health issues with the dogs and the staff, the draining system to be able to clean and sanitize properly, the heating, there’s no air conditioning. There’s just a number of things that it cannot be updated feasibly,” Tammy Brown, shelter manager for Lincoln County, told NBC Montana.
The tight quarters force the facility to turn away animals in need while keeping one kennel permanently reserved for law enforcement officers. Brown recalled an instance where she had to take an abused puppy to her own home rather than house it near larger dogs.
“For instance, last night somebody called, I had to pick up a little puppy that was being abused. I had to take it to my home because I cannot house a puppy in this facility with the large dogs that are out there. There’s no place for these animals in this facility,” Brown told NBC Montana.
Officials plan to expand the building to about 4,000 square feet on a site located next to a county park with walking trails.
“We’re currently operating with 12 kennels. This new proposed shelter will have 20 kennels along with community space, for like Tammy said, to be able to broaden out in community outreach and it’s located right next to a county park with walking trails,” Sherbo told NBC Montana.
The new facility will also add designated dog and cat quarantine areas, an intake division for vaccinations and deworming, and an on-site veterinary clinic to eliminate long travel times for medical care.
“One of the things that is really important with this new facility is there will be a veterinarian clinic. There are no low-cost spay and neuter clinics, there is no veterinarian within. I have to drive an hour and 15 minutes to take one of our shelter animals to the vet. That is unacceptable,” Brown told NBC Montana.
Lincoln County Shelter Friends is leading the fundraising effort for the project through grants and donations. Parkside Credit Union provided an initial $250,000 up front alongside another $250,000 in grant matching support, while the county will handle land clearing and foundation preparation.
Officials hope to open the new shelter next year, though final timelines depend entirely on grant funding.
“It is not a want or a desire, it is a need in this community,” Brown told NBC Montana.
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