In their care: Animal shelter renovations improve future pets’ quality of life

“That’s fairly light for us,” she said, adding that during her tenure, the shelter has hosted up to 30 dogs and 25 to 30 cats.

According to Figone, $7,000 worth of improvements was raised for the agency by Susan Brandt of Rational Animal. The shelter’s new signage has already made a marked difference in the public’s awareness and level of interest.

Brandt, who spearheaded the renovation project through fundraising efforts and outreach to the Grass Valley Police Department, said apart from the new sign, she is excited about the shelter’s new “catio.”

The “catio” — complete with hammocks, scratch posts and towers —expands the shelter’s vertical capacity, Figone said, and gives the cats a place to venture and rest in natural sunshine.

Brandt said she, alongside two other volunteers, halved the PVC pipe that lines the shelter’s outdoor walls for cats to do cat things, and turned cutting boards into cat napping shelves.

Brandt said the funds also went to renovating the dog run, where potential donors still have the option of supporting the beautification project by paying $100 to have an image of their pet on the wall of the shelter.

Figone said she hopes volunteers with an open mind and reliable work ethic will appreciate working with the animals in their new living quarters. The shelter is largely run by paid employees, but is meant to serve and be supported by the community.

ANIMAL CARE

Brandt said long before she volunteered at the shelter for the first time, she started Rational Animal in 2002 as an at-risk animal charity. She always noted how covert the shelter was, as it operated tucked next to a water treatment plant.

Brandt, and her public partners in the project, said they pride themselves on the quality of life offered to shelter animals.

“It smells outside because of the water treatment plant,” Figone said. “Our animals are very well taken care of.”

Figone said the shelter only euthanizes for behavioral issues, and fully uses the behaviorist who comes by weekly and spends one-on-one time with each dog under their stewardship.

“We had a chunky pit bull in here for 239 days,” Figone said, adding — proudly — that the unlikely pet candidate was recently adopted.

Figone has worked for the department for the last six years and reports to Grass Valley Police Lt. Joe Matteoni. Figone said her department has operated since 1953.

The shelter has been a temporary home to rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

“We had 26 snakes from a cottage at one point,” Matteoni said.

Kennel technician and office assistant Jessica Patrick said she recalls the shelter was once home to centipedes.

In special cases, the shelter reaches out to specialty groups to rehabilitate or care for more uncommon pets, and in many cases, wild animals.

Although the shelter operates solely within Grass Valley and Nevada City boundaries, Figone said she has already taken in 20-30 cats from Sammie’s Friends to help reduce pressure on Animal Control.

Rebecca O’Neil is a staff writer with The Union. She can be reached at roneil@theunion.com

KNOW & GO

Saturday, Sunday and April 2 and 3 — Mural artists Sean and Patrick Johnson of Swazzle Puppet Studio will paint images of pets on “catio” walls

10 a.m. to noon April 5 — “Catio” ribbon cutting ceremony

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6 and 7 — Shelter open to public tours of “catio”