A report submitted to the mayor and Village Council recommends that a pre-fab kennel be erected next to the Village’s animal control office in the municipal complex across from Wells Fargo Bank. “Overall, our recommendation to improve Animal Services is to purchase a pre-fabricated kennel that would be able to house both cats and dogs for a short-term stay in the Village before being either reunited with their owners or transferred to a facility that can coordinate their adoption,†the report said.
It added that the Dennis Friends Foundation “has pledged to help pay for this structure, once a final cost estimate is obtained, and Sandoval County Commissioner Katherine Bruch has already committed $25,000 to this project.â€
The committee suggested a site development plan for the municipal complex be presented to the Corrales Planning and Zoning Commission.
“Our next step is to get a site development plan in place for the administration complex to see if another building can be added to this site. Once that plan is complete, it will be presented to the Village Planning and Zoning Commission for approval.â€
Cost estimates would be obtained for the pre-fab building, a concrete slab for it, and electrical and plumbing.
“When we have the overall cost estimate, we will bring the plan to the Dennis Friends Foundation for approval and see how much of the project they can help fund. We estimate this process to take about three to four months, but this should offer a long-term solution to taking care of animals brought into Animal Services.â€
The evaluation process began in September of 2021, when Councillors Bill Woldman and Stuart Murray met with Village Administrator Ron Curry and Police Chief Vic Mangiacapra to discuss possible upgrades to the Animal Services facilities. “By November of 2021, they had a quote from Facility Build for installing drains in the kennel rooms. A second quote received in December of 2021 included creating four kennels in the space where the two kennels currently are, drains for these rooms, and upgrades to the ventilation system. That estimate came to $106,580.54.â€
“In early 2022, Councillor Woldman presented the idea of purchasing a prefabricated kennel structure for the Animal Services department during a council meeting.… In April, Mayor Fahey and Village Administrator Ron Curry initiated an overall evaluation of the Animal Services department by contacting Angela Gutierrez, a trustee for the Dennis Friends Foundation.â€
The committee critiqued the existing facility as follows. “Our current facility consists of the office for the Animal Services officers, which also functions as a storeroom, and area to meet and greet animals. To access the kennels, one must go outside, as there is no indoor access to the kennels themselves.
“There are two kennel areas, each with an external door with a window, and currently one is typically used to house dogs, and one is set up with cat runs for felines. The flooring in the current kennel space is difficult to clean, and animals must be removed from the area to clean them. The installation of floor drains would help somewhat but would not allow for an animal to remain in the kennel while it was being cleaned, as is recommended by shelter guidelines.
“This set-up is also not ideal if the Village takes in more than one dog at a time. The outdoor kennel space currently does not provide adequate shade, although Animal Services officers are working to purchase shade material for these outdoor runs.
“The current kennels do not allow for an animal to see out, and temperature control and ventilation have been issues.
“We concluded that the kennels at Sandoval County are the best example of an adequate solution that would meet the needs of Corrales Animal Services.â€