Animal shelter re-opens after repairs
WOONSOCKET – The city has awarded a Providence company a $13,600 contract to replace the leaky roof at the animal shelter, which was shut down briefly amid concerns about mold last fall.
The city shut down the shelter in October after a private inspection company told the city there were high-risk levels of mold in the building, possibly associated with the problem roof.
Though the city never previously issued a statement about it, Police Chief Thomas F. Oates III said yesterday that the shelter was reopened weeks later after the city sought a second opinion from Enviro-Clean in Providence. The environmental testing company determined that most of what was originally feared to be mold particles in the atmosphere was actually pet dander – a normal condition for an animal shelter.
Still, city crews ripped away parts of the roof, insulation and ceiling tiles to eliminate areas that might have become moldy due to exposure to moisture from the porous roof.
As a temporary fix, workers installed a plastic tarp over the roof while the city issued a request for proposals for a new roof.
The contract was awarded to Guwoe Home Improvement & Remodeling Co., the lowest of three bidders, several weeks ago, according to Oates.
Work is expected to begin on the facility shortly, the chief said.
“It was closed probably for a period of two to three weeks,” said Oates. “It’s operational, but it’s going to be better than what it was. We’ve awarded a contract for a new roof and hopefully that work is going to begin within the next month.”
While Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt says the emergency repairs to the building are essential, she is still exploring plans to build a replacement for the shack-like building situated on the edge of the Blackstone River, sandwiched between the Cumberland Hill Road fire station and the Woonsocket Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“The location is less than conducive to what we should have,” said Baldelli-Hunt. “There should be some vision and long-range planning.”
Ideally, Baldelli-Hunt said the animal control facility should be in another location with ample outdoor space for animals to romp.
A good site should also be easily accessible to visitors, so they can see if there are pets available for adoption at the shelter.
If Baldelli-Hunt had her druthers, she’d locate a new animal shelter next to an open area where pet owners are invited to let their dogs run and schmooze with others – a dog park, as it were.
Last year Baldelli-Hunt commissioned a panel to explore possible locations where it would be feasible to establish a dog park. A couple of sites have risen to the top of the list, including the River’s Edge Athletic Complex, an idea Baldelli-Hunt calls “very preliminary.”
Located off Davison Avenue, the area is both isolated and roomy, with more than five acres of open space, some of which is used for a soccer field. The park is also the entryway to the longest contiguous stretch of the Blackstone River Bikeway – about 13 miles’ worth, heading south to Cumberland.
Baldelli-Hunt said a replacement for the city’s obsolete animal control shelter need not be a budget-breaker.
“We’re not looking to build this monstrous structure, we just want something that that’s safe and clean and sufficient and provides the ability for the animals to get the exercise they need,” she said.
Another feature of River’s Edge that makes it a good choice for a dog park and shelter facility is its off-yon- der location. It’s unlikely barking dogs would be be much of a nuisance because so few people live nearby, the mayor said.
“It’s certainly at the very beginning stages but it’s is on the list of potential accomplishments I’d like to have for my administration,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to build a new animal shelter at some point or at least lay the groundwork for a new shelter for whoever is mayor in the future.”
Last fall, when the city closed the animal shelter, three cats, three dogs and a ferret were relocated to municipal animal shelters in Smithfield and Lincoln.
For the brief period it was closed, Animal Control Officer Doris Kay and Asst. Animal Control Officer Tiffany Coles continued responding to calls as usual, temporarily working out of police headquarters, according to Oates.
If they picked up dogs and cats that needed to be sheltered, the animals were put up at facilities in Burrillville and North Smithfield, as well as Smithfield, according the chief.
“They were very accommodating to us and we are greatly appreciative of their help,” he said.
Follow Russ Olivo on Twitter @russolivo