Caldwell County Animal Control Shelter found to be in very poor condition

LENOIR, NC (February 20, 2018)…On December 4-5, 2017 an independent firm was contracted and authorized by Caldwell County to visually inspect and evaluate the condition of the Caldwell County Animal Control Shelter.  This firm, the Bacon Group, Inc., is an architectural firm that specializes in the design of animal care facilities.

The results/findings and recommendations by the Bacon Group, Inc. are as follows:

Results/Findings

“The existing CCAC animal shelter facility, which is a 24-year-old, pre-engineered metal building, is in very poor condition.  Animal housing areas do not meet current needs and the condition of the animal housing spaces is poor.  There is evidence of overcrowding and grouping animals together inappropriately because of the age of the facility and shortage of space.  Due to the building’s age and condition it has become increasingly difficult for staff to maintain some infrastructure and equipment.  The existing dog kennel design does not meet current design standards for animal shelters especially regarding ventilation, waste removal and kenneling construction.  There are cracks in the concrete slab and paint is chipping and peeling off the walls in the dog kennels, which prevents these areas from being properly cleaned and sanitized.  It is thought that bad fill soil beneath the shelter may be the reason the slab is cracking.  Repeated attempts to repair cracks and the paint have failed.  The chain link fencing in the dog kennels is hard to clean.  These conditions have been cited repeatedly as not acceptable in state inspection reports from the Animal Welfare Section, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services dating as far back as 2006.

The existing shelter capacity is insufficient to meet current needs.  Adequate separation of animal populations is minimal at best.  There is a shortage of cat housing, which is causing cats to be placed in locations not originally intended for cat housing and commingled with dogs.  Core functions such as grooming, food preparation, laundry and sally port/receiving areas are insufficient for proper work protocols.  Administrative function areas within the shelter are crowded or insufficient.

At the design work session, a program for an expanded shelter established seven function areas: 1) Lobby and Public Spaces, 2) Dog Housing, 3) Cat Housing, 4) Staff Office and Service Spaces, 5) Receiving, 6) Multi-Purpose Room, 7) Spay/Neuter Clinic.  The recommended total animal housing capacity established during the space needs analysis and programming is 107, versus the current capacity of 44 plus group feral cat holding.  The increase in animal housing capacity achieves the appropriate configuration, size, and location for large dogs, small dogs and puppies, and cats and kittens in adoption, healthy hold, isolation/bite, quarantine (sick), and recovery from spay/neuter surgery.

A renovation alone of the existing will not achieve a significant increase in animal housing capacity.  It will be necessary to both renovate and expand the existing shelter to gain animal housing capacity and overall functionality.  The existing site may not be suitable in size or soil conditions to support an expansion.  Only the new shelter option will achieve the recommended quality and capacity for the animal housing developed in the program.

Conceptual floor plans for a renovation and expansion, at 10,534 sq. ft., and for a new shelter, at 11,571 sq. ft., are provided.  A separate conceptual floor plan for a barn with 4 stalls is also provided.  A suggested phasing plan for renovation and expansion of the existing, shelter, which will be required, is included.  A preliminary Opinion of Probable Construction Cost for a renovation and expansion of the existing shelter is $1,946,200 (average $185.70 per sq. ft.) and for a new shelter it is $2,369,000 (average $204.74 per sq. ft.).  The cost opinions do not include project “soft costs.”  The cost opinions indicate it may be less costly to renovate and expand than building a new shelter.  However, in the consultant’s opinion, the new shelter would be a better long-term value because all systems will be new, animal housing will be adequate, and the functionality of the shelter would be maximized through and efficient floor plan.  Depending on the type of construction and the quality of systems and finish materials used, building life expectancy for a newly constructed animal shelter would be 25 to 30 years.

Recommendations

Evaluation of the existing shelter confirms the need for modernization and expansion or replacement.  Bacon Group recommends against renovating the existing shelter because of its poor condition.  However, if the county chooses to operate the Animal Control department from and house animals from its current location, it will be necessary to renovate and expand the shelter.  A cost benefit analysis is needed based on the county funds available for the project and when the funds are available.  Before a commitment is made to renovate and/or expand the shelter on the current site, further site evaluation and soils testing is warranted.  After these unknowns are decided, the best option for expansion given the parameters of what space is available in which to expand can be identified.  Possibly the most expeditious and straightforward process may be to design and build a new shelter on a different site and avoid the need to phase work on an occupied site to keep CCAC operational throughout construction of a renovation and expansion.”

The current shelter is located at 829 Fairview Drive SW in Lenoir.

For a completely new shelter, Caldwell County does have land available at the Health & Human Services and Sheriff’s Department.  A new animal shelter facility would be expected to have a life expectancy of at least 25 to 30 years.

You can view the Caldwell County Animal Control Shelter presentation from the Caldwell County Commission Meeting on February 5, 2018.  The presentation begins at 00:16:18 in the following video:

https://caldwellcountync.viebit.com/player.php?hash=LoUIidKovBoz

What do you think is best…renovate/expand or new?