ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / March 1, 2000

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Council is working hard to find funding for theproposed St. John Parish Animal Shelter.At a recent finance committee meeting, Councilman Lester Rainey updated the committee on the latest progress to get the shelter constructed.

Presently the shelter is being maintained by the St. John Humane Society.But because of lack of funds and a building the shelter is severely outdated and conditions at the shelter are minimal at best.

Rainey said the Animal Control Advisory Board has been kicking around ideas on how to finance the building of a new shelter and how to maintain it. Lastyear the council allocated property near the St. John Airport for the shelter.”We have the property,” said Rainey. “Now we just need the building.”Councilwoman Melissa Faucheux has found a federal grant that will help to finance construction of the new shelter, which will cost about $665,000.

Rainey said at the present time the shelter is being financed by a user fee of 25 cents, which provides about $40,000 a year for shelter personnel salaries and operation.

He suggested the parish raise the user fee, which is attached to residents’ water bills, to 50 cents or even a dollar to get the shelter built.

Rainey and the Animal Control Advisory Board have come up with several suggestions on how to raise money to maintain the shelter once it is built.

Those include: Levy fines on pet owners who let their pets run loose or who are cruel to animals.

Construct an incinerator at the shelter to get rid of animals that have to be put to sleep. This would be the only incinerator of its type in the RiverParishes, and St. John could charge other parishes for its use. Pet adoption fees.

Fees from animal licensing and registration.

Charge people for dog-grooming and dog obedience classes. Rainey said thevo-tech school could also use the shelter for classes on grooming and obedience.

Faucheux emphasized the need to get a new building so people will go to the shelter and adopt stray dogs and cats.

“I’ve been out to the shelter once,” Faucheux said, “but because of the conditions I don’t want to go out there again. We have got to do something.”There is also the matter of staffing the shelter once it is built. Rainey saidan optimal staff would be five people, two animal control officers for the day and night and somebody to handle the shelter office. Rainey said he would liketo ask the sheriff’s office for one kennel control officer while the parish would pay for the other employees. There was also a suggestion SheriffWayne Jones be asked for use of the Inmate Work Program to clean the kennels every day.

As for the day-to-day office administration of the shelter, Rainey and Faucheux suggested the parish use the Retired Services Volunteer Program to staff the office.

Faucheux said she had talked to Chief Deputy Harold Klibert, who has assured her Jones would assist in helping them with the animal shelter.

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