February 01, 2017
Looking for motivation to open your doors to a dog in need of a forever home? A Philadelphia animal shelter has launched an "aggressive" campaign this week as capacity in area kennels will be drastically reduced.
On Wednesday, the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia unveiled its “Home Improvement” adoption campaign as the shelter's dog kennels will undergo major renovations. The center's large dog capacity will be cut in half while construction is underway.
“As always, our absolute top priority is to minimize euthanasia and maximize lifesaving,” said Carolyn Fitzgerald, ACCT Philly’s lifesaving director. “We have a plan in place designed to increase live exits and decrease the number of dogs coming in."
ACCT Philly, the region's largest animal care and control service provider, said construction will begin Monday and is expected to be completed in two months. To save as many dogs as possible, the organization will be hosting pop-up adoption events and offering various promotions.
The shelter's first event will be to offer waived fees to adopt adult dogs more than 30 pounds until Sunday, Feb. 5. The shelter will also set stricter guidelines to manage the number of dogs admitted to the kennels.
@ACCTPhilly kennel HVAC to be replaced, large dogs are fee-waived 2/1-2/5. Learn more https://t.co/TEyDS7QG6L pic.twitter.com/k202NRlK9u
— ACCT Philly (@ACCTPhilly) January 31, 2017
ACCT officials said the center's "unreliable" heating, ventilation, and cooling systems will be replaced. The construction will occur in the ceiling above the dog kennels, forcing the area to be empty while workers install the new system.
“The new system will provide better climate control and a higher air exchange rate, ensuring pets housed at ACCT Philly will have a more comfortable and healthy environment,” said Vincent Medley, ACCT Philly’s executive director.
The project will be completed in two stages so the kennel's normal capacity of 100 dogs will be reduced to 50.
The shelter, which is located in North Philadelphia, handles approximately 23,000 animals annually. For more information on the adoption campaign, visit the organization's website.
