Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk said the new building recognizes the important role animals play in our lives and our responsibility for the welfare of animals in the community.
“We’re able to provide more effective cleaning. The building is new. Obviously we can sanitize different surfaces that we have to to prevent the spread of diseases.”
Laurie added, “I think the community can be welcomed in now. The old shelter, most of your listeners have been in the old shelter, and you couldn’t move in there.”
“It will also be a rental space for community groups and organizations. We’ve already got one group that is interested in renting it for their training facilities. We’ll be doing training as well.”
Laurie noted, “It’s (the building) very welcoming. It is most certainly a community centre. Community groups and organizations are already signing up.”
She explained the layout of the building. “The south side is for cats and small animals. Cats like it hot in the sun. Dogs like the cool side of the building. Everything is developed for animal care and safety. There is a nursing area for kittens. There is a room for people to meet inside with the cats, and there’s a small animal meet-and-greet room.”
Laurie added, “One of the adoption rooms has about eight rabbits. One cage has two. In fact one cage has two lion-mane rabbits Not your average rabbits. We also have a family of domestic rats and we occasionally get some birds.”
