The Kenai Animal Shelter will be closing the outdoor drop-off kennels as of January 1 in order to stay as close to national standards as possible.
Kenai Chief Animal Control Officer Cora Chambers said the industry standard no longer advocates for overnight or outdoor drop-off kennels where animals can be dropped off unattended.
Chambers: “Our mission here at the shelter is to make the best decisions possible about every animal in our care and the only way we can accomplish this mission is to have adequate information provided about the animals that are coming into our facility, in regards to temperament, health history, where an animal was found, if an animal has any aggressive tendencies or was involved with a bite to a person or to another animal.”
Chambers said if Kenai residents have an animal to surrender due to an emergency or they just cannot make it during business hours, they may contact the Kenai Police Department at 283-7879.
Chambers: “However we are really hoping that people who area wishing to surrender their own pets will do so during business hours, truly it is best for the animal as well as best for the public when we have proper information on these animals and we have an owner sign them over to us because that does prevent the animal from being held for a three day stray period.”
