BALD KNOB — It’s just a matter of time until more homeless dogs in Bald Knob have a comfortable place to live while waiting to find their forever homes.
Thanks to Bald Knob Alderman Chuck Bradford, who spearheaded a project for a new animal shelter for the city, the dogs will have much better living conditions. He said dogs will be moved into the shelter before the end of October.
“Comparing the old shelter to the one we have now, it’s got everything. This one is more humane,” Bradford said about the new 1,200-square-foot shelter at 916 Vine St. “It has enclosed kennels, but [the dogs] can go outside into a fenced-in area. It has central heat and air, a full tub and a washer and dryer.”
He said that at the old shelter, tarps had to be put up when it rained, and fans used when it was hot, but that’s not the case with the new shelter.
“There are 18 kennels inside that will hold three medium-size dogs comfortably,” he said. “It’ll hold 50 dogs easy.”
The old shelter could comfortably house about 15 dogs, but many times, there were more dogs there. With the support of the City Council, Bradford opened an account for the Bald Knob Animal Shelter Building Fund at Citizens Bank in Bald Knob and began asking for donations.
The new $32,000 structure also has a small, lined water pond for the dogs and a petting partition where people can get inside to get acquainted with a dog to see if it would be a good fit for adoption.
Bradford said his wife, Anita Bradford, and Thresha Kempson brought the animals to the Internet through Facebook and Petfinder.com in an attempt to increase the animals’ adoption rate. Through Petfinder.com, the shelter received a grant to purchase 15 Thundershirts, a special outfit used to help calm dogs who have a bit of anxiety.
“The first time we used them was when [Hurricane] Isaac made its way to Arkansas,” Kempson said about Thundershirts. “It’s like a compression jacket that goes around their waist and holds them snugly.”
Thundershirts are designed to provide constant gentle pressure to the dog’s body to create a calming effect. The Thundershirt grant program enables Petfinder members to use Thundershirts to help dogs with anxiety problems. The partnership’s inaugural grantees include 32 shelters and rescue groups, which will receive nearly 2,300 Thundershirts, according to Thundershirts.com.
Kempson said the Bald Knob shelter uses Thundershirts when the dogs are frightened by storms or have separation anxiety. She said it also helps them get ready for the transition from the shelter to adoption.
Bradford said volunteers are needed to feed, water and walk the dogs.
“People can walk the dogs and socialize them, giving them time with humans,” Bradford said. “This helps the transition for adoption.”
Donations to the shelter may still be made through the account at Citizens Bank.
For more information on the shelter, look up Bald Knob Animal Shelter on Facebook or at Petfinders at petfinder.com/shelters/AR275.html.
To set up an appointment to see a dog, call the Bald Knob City Hall at (501) 724-6428.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.