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Animal Shelter will get 24 new kennels Volunteer friends donate $8,100 to project By PAUL FATTIG PHOENIX -- Santa Claus will drop off an early Christmas present for the canines at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. New kennels -- 24 in all -- are expected to be installed early this month to replace those that are dilapidated, thanks to donated bucks. The Friends of the Animal Shelter volunteer group is donating $8,100 while the remainder -- roughly $6,100 -- is coming from the shelter. An estimated $14,200 is needed for the new kennels. "It will be wonderful for the dogs," said volunteer Lydia Dresnek of Ashland. "We'll be replacing the one row that is not anchored to the cement floor. It's falling apart. When they get a large dog that jumps up on the side, the whole thing can collapse." The new kennels are sorely needed, said Gary Stevens, manager of the county's environmental health services, which oversees animal control. "We've had these sort of makeshift kennels, made out of galvanized fencing materials and old gates," he said. "They are very difficult to clean, and almost impossible to disinfect." Because the Friends group has stepped forward, the kennels will become a reality sooner than expected, he said, noting that shelter officials had been saving money for the new structures. "The new kennels have been a priority because of concerns over disease," he said. "We've been trying to save up for this." The money from the Friends group was part of the $15,888 raised for cooling systems for the shelter this past summer. The systems to keep the animals cool cost about $5,770, leaving a little over $10,000. Donors had been told that any money left over from the cooling system drive would go to the shelters, noted Dresnek, who had organized the effort after seeing animals at the shelter sweltering in the summer heat. Knowing that shelter officials had wanted to replace some of the kennels, Dresnek checked with as many donors as she could. They agreed the money should be spent on new kennels, she said. Quality Fence Co. in Central Point is building the new kennels. The Friends are also contributing about $2,000 for a program to educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. "Maybe we can stop having those unwanted litters of animals," Dresnek said. "We need to work toward having a minimum of euthanasia." Anyone wishing to help volunteer at the shelter or to donate is urged to contribute, Stevens said. "We can use the donations -- it has been years since we've had any capital funds," he said. The shelter's income, which is derived from dog licenses, fines and adoption fees, is insufficient to run it, he said. The shelter receives about $10,000 a year in donations. Checks can be sent to: Jackson County Animal Shelter, 5595 S. Pacific Highway, Phoenix, OR 97535. Those donations would not be required if everyone in the county licensed their dogs as required by law, officials said. More than 50 percent of the dogs within the county don't have licenses. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA