Renovations send Burrillville animal control to trailers

Makeover includes new, 2,100-square-foot kennel, other upgrades

BURRILLVILLE — The town’s animal control department will be operating out of construction trailers during what is expected to be a months-long project to renovate the animal shelter on Clear River Drive.

As part of the project now underway, the shelter’s entire kennel section is being demolished and replaced with a new, 2,100-squarefoot kennel. There will also be much-needed repairs and improve- ments to the remainder of the building. The improvements and updates were needed to comply with new state Department of Environmental Management regulations.

Burrillville animal control is the municipal animal control department and animal shelter for the town, operating under the supervision of the Burrillville Police Department. The shelter is located on Clear River Drive, which runs off of Broncos Highway (Route 102) in the village of Oakland.

The plan, according to animal control officials, is for the the shelter to remain open during construction.

“We will remain on the property utilizing construction trailers so people can find us here as usual,” Deputy Animal Control Officer Kerry L. Courtemanche said on the animal control department’s Facebook page. “The trailers have air conditioning and heat and we will try to keep shelter operations as normal as possible to meet the needs of the public, however, our capacity is limited.”

Courtemanche says stray and roaming dogs will be picked up as normal, but because there will be limited dog holding space due to the construction, the shelter will utilize space at other shelters as the need arises.

“We will not be able to take owner surrendered dogs during construction, but can aid in placement or refer people to other groups,” she said.

Courtemanche says the Country Mutt LLC in Scituate is letting the shelter borrow kennels for temporary space.

The Burrillville shelter will continue to intake and adopt cats and kittens as much as space permits.

“If we are unable to assist people we will refer them to other organi- zations,” Courtemanche says. “Unfortunately, we do not have space available for trap, neuter and release services for feral cats.”

Requests for those services, she said, will be taken on a case by case basis and postponed if needed.

The shelter is asking residents to have patience during the renovation project.

“We are very excited for the major improvement in accommodations for animals in our care and we are hoping to be back in our building before the end of the year,” Courtemanche said.