Safe Animal Shelter: Disaster Response and Recovery Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

On Sept. 11, 2017, Hurricane Irma came through Clay County, bringing torrential rains and high winds. Just two days earlier, a “nor’easter” had hit, so we already saturated by the time Irma passed through. Almost 4' of water came inside our shelter, which was just enough to topple the air-conditioning units, file cabinets and refrigerators. Our furniture and counters, including the lobby and the med room, were ruined. The computers were soaked. Everywhere you could see food, papers, and medical supplies floating. Even our floor was ruined. The smell was horrendous and mold was growing everywhere.

With the help of the grant from the Petfinder Foundation, we were able to have our floors refurbished throughout the entire shelter, including the dog kennels and cat rooms. After removing all the old coatings and dirt, a new epoxy was applied and finished with a high-performance urethane. The floors are in much better condition than before, not only aesthetically -- they are also more sanitary. It has made a world of difference to the look of the shelter. It is much more inviting and professional-looking. Everyone comments on how nice we look!

How many pets did this grant help?

We currently house up to 35 dogs and 50 cats. We reopened our shelter on Dec. 2 and have already adopted about 80 animals.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Our new floors haven’t helped one particular pet but rather all of them (third photo). They have a comfortable place to walk and lie. The floors are easier to clean and there is no peeling paint and no cracks where bacteria can hide and cause illnesses.