New shelter to open

The process of moving more than 40 prospective pets into new quarters is under way.

The Iberia Humane Society is moving into a new building behind its current facility on Troy Road.

Humane society director Dayna Perry said the new facility, which will be up and running within the next two weeks, will offer a better quality of life for dogs at the shelter.

“We won’t be able to house more animals, but the residents we have are going to be able to live more comfortably,” she said.

Perry said the new building will replace the portable office building in the front of the property. Outdoor dog kennels that have stood for more than 20 years will be torn down.

“Parking is a big issue for us, so this will definitely help,” Perry said.

The new building will include kennel space for up to 40 dogs, including eight isolation rooms for dogs receiving medical treatment.

All the rooms will be air conditioned.

“We will be able to perform medical treatment on the larger dogs,” she said. “Heat is a factor for them, so bringing those dogs indoors will allow us to treat them for heartworms.”

Perry said the new facility will also feature an office and reception area where customers can interact with animals, as well as a storage room and an employee break room. Previously, all those areas were crowded into a single space.

Perry said the $125,000 facility was made possible by grants, fundraising efforts and donations from the community. She said humane society board member Bill Quinlan was instrumental in securing the loan for the facility.

The new facility is the first phase of a two-phase renovation project at the shelter. The second phase will include housing for cats.

The humane society serves as a “no-kill” adoption center for approximately 80 dogs and cats. There are currently about 115 animals at the shelter.

“We pretty much always operate over capacity,” Perry said. “The biggest challenge is that we have to say no to some people.”

Perry said the humane society is staffed by two full-time employees and three part-time workers. She said a handful of volunteers also frequent the shelter.

“We’re always looking for people who want to put in two or three days a week with us,” Perry said. “We try to make it enjoyable to the point where they do what they enjoy doing the most.”

Perry said the shelter is always in need of donations. Cat litter, garbage bags, kitten food, newspapers and disposable gloves are always in short supply.