City Shelter Project Proceeds
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
The sheltered dogs at the Opelousas City Barn are scheduled to be moved to a new location within the next few weeks.
Code Enforcement director Lance Ned told the Board of Aldermen during a Tuesday night meeting that a refurbished shelter at a city-owned facility on Cross Street should be ready by at least at the beginning of January to accept the 14 dogs now being held at their temporary address.
City officials and animal welfare advocates, both locally and statewide, announced on Aug. 24 the redesign of the new shelter building west of Railroad Avenue.
Since then Ned said the city has been finalizing the modifications at the Cross Street location.
It hasn’t been an inexpensive venture, according to City Treasurer Lawanda St. Ann.
St. Ann told the Board that in November the city poured $30,000 into the shelter, which when completed should accommodate 25 dogs.
Overall St. Ann said the city has already spent $90,000 on the new shelter.
Elsie Semien, who addressed the Board on Tuesday night, said she has been waiting for 14 months for the city to relocate the dogs, which Semien said have been a nuisance since their arrival at the City Barn.
Semien, who lives near where the Barn is located, has complained on several occasions about what she says are the dogs’ incessant barking, especially past sundown.
All of the six members of the Board indicated to Semien that they had visited the City Barn, but they didn’t hear the dogs barking.
Each of those visits however, were during daylight hours, the Board members admitted.
Ned said that the city will accept monetary donations and contributions in order to keep the new shelter operating efficiently.
During a media unveiling event at the new shelter, the animal rights’ supporters indicated that the reconstruction of the building and the adjacent property were sponsored monetarily by corporate sponsors.
The city at the time, explained that there will be opportunities for volunteers to walk and care for the dogs.
Sponsorship chances for the dogs were announced by Friends of The Opelousas Animal Shelter represented by Lori Dupuis and Denise Gutnisky of Scott’s Wish/Mardi-Paws.
