This is a throwback to our first big success in helping CCAS achieve its mission, just two years after FCCAS was founded in 2016. Shelter Manager Mindy Naticchioni identified a pressing need in the kennels: the dogs needed more space. She knew that some animal care facilities installed doors, usually called transfer or “guillotine” doors, in the walls between kennels, so that when shelters were not full they could raise the doors and instantly double the amount of space available to dogs awaiting adoption. These doors also make it a lot easier for staff to clean kennels safely and efficiently.
So FCCAS applied to a local organization, the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, for a grant of $12,000 to fund the purchase of transfer doors for both the main-kennel and dog-hold areas of CCAS. In March of 2018, our request was approved for the full amount – despite the Trust’s policy of not supporting publicly-owned animal shelters. In awarding the grant, the Trust explained, “We are making an exception … due to the Friends’ involvement and in recognition of the outstanding efforts of the County to give its dogs every possible opportunity to find new permanent homes.”
Since the doors were installed, they have been called a “game-changer” in the daily routine of CCAS. Not only do they greatly improve the dogs’ well-being; they also facilitate optimal care of the dogs by CCAS’s dedicated staff.
Stay tuned to future newsletters for more ways FCCAS has made a difference at the shelter, both inside and out!
