SHELTER SHUTS
Woonsocket Animal Shelter is forced to close due to leaks, mold
WOONSOCKET – The city’s Animal Control Shelter has been closed for the foreseeable future after testing revealed “very high” levels of mold spores in the air, police say.
Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III said three cats, three dogs and a ferret were relocated to other shelters in the area after the city received the results of the test from Bona Fide Home and Mold Inspection on Campeau Street on Friday.
Members of the animal control division will be working out of police headquarters and continue to respond to reports of stray pets and animal-related emergencies, as usual, while the facility remains off-line.
“We’re going to respond the same as we would if there was nothing wrong with our facility,” said Oates. “We’re up and running and responding to emergency calls or any animal complaint the way we normally would do.”
Three dogs that were in the shacklike shelter at 105 Cumberland St. last week were transferred to the Smithfield Animal Shelter when it closed. The felines and the ferret were relocated to shelter facilities in Lincoln.
For the immediate future, the question of where to shelter animals captured in the city as strays or in need of quarantine will be handled on a caseby-case basis until the Woonsocket Police Department firms up formal agreements with neighboring facilities, the chief said.
Oates said the city must also come up with a plan for evaluating the cause of the mold and what to do about it. Oates said the problem might be tied to a leaky roof that animal control employees have apparently been dealing with for some time.
The chief wouldn’t rule out the possibility of exploring a partnership with a neighboring community to form a regional animal control facility – an idea that has been floated in the past. The existing animal control facility, located in a tucked-away corner of the city behind the fire station on Cumberland Hill Road, is showing signs of wear and repairs to the building
may not to be justified, depending on costs.
Oates said he expects the shelter to be closed for some time while the city makes arrangements to identify the cause of the problem and its options for rectifying the situation.
“Getting those things done or even getting pricing is going to take some time,” he said.
The police department issued a press release stating that Bona Fide tested the facility on Sept. 27 and, after seeing the results, recommended that the building be vacated until “interior mold particles are reduced, and or removed.”
“At this time the Animal Control Facility will remain closed until the mold levels can be brought to acceptable levels,” the statement said.
Residents were encouraged to continue calling on the animal control division for services, releasing the staff cell phone, 692-0833. Two full-time staffers run the facility – Animal Control Officer Doris Kay and Assistant ACO Tiffany Coles. They’re considered employees of the police department.
Oates said Bona Fide was called in to do a professional analysis for mold after workers obtained permission to do an over-the-counter test with a product available at hardware stores. The results gave a positive reading for the presence of mold, but not enough detail about the concentration, so officials called in a professional company to get a better handle on the scope of the problem.
While workers think the leaky roof may be the cause of the mold, the problem isn’t so severe that water puddles in animal holding areas or office space when it rains. But the home test kit was authorized after mold became visible in certain areas, including floor tiles.
Oates said an area of the police station normally used for repairing police vehicles was equipped with water and pet food for emergency shelter after the facility was cleared out Friday, but it turned out not to be needed.