SAN ANGELO, Texas — For many shelter animals, living in a loud, crowded environment can be an overwhelming experience, causing additional challenges when making the transition into a forever home.
Concho Valley PAWS has recognized the need for a more relaxing space for rescue dogs and after five years of fundraising, building and planning, the new Stephens Dog Dorms are officially open at 3134 US Hwy 67N.
"It's a really nice environment, it's a little bit calmer than the traditional city shelter 'cuz one, we don't have as many dogs over there," PAWS executive director Jenie Wilson said.
Back in 2018, the shelter raised money along with the help of Judith and David Hirschfeld, Steve Stephens and multiple donors to create the new dorms, which house approximately 60 animals at a time.
When a lost animal is brought to the shelter, they are kept for 72 hours until being put up for adoption. From there, they now have the chance to be placed in the dorms with larger kennel spaces, cot beds, food and water bowls and the opportunity to spend time outside everyday.
Some of the new kennels even have indoor/outdoor facilities, allowing the dogs to choose freely whether they want to play in a fenced outdoor space.
"We really try to make it a home," Wilson said. "It's still a dorm, obviously, but they have beds in there, they're taken out multiple times a day, they have access to sunshine, they get walked, so I think that those things are the biggest difference for the dogs."
According to Wilson, there has been an evident difference in the animals when placed in the dorms, especially because there is less constant noise when compared to the animal shelter.
Additionally, dogs are given handcrafted, frozen treats and KONG toys filled with peanut butter for daily enrichment.
Currently, there are puppies, older and younger dogs available for adoption in the dorms, with an official grand opening celebration set for early 2024 after the holidays.
After this year's progress, Wilson said, "We're really starting to make an impact. If we keep this pace up, hopefully we'll see some improvement in our community."
As is the common sentiment, she also expressed the importance of spay/neuter for pets both inside and out of the shelter.
Looking ahead, PAWS is also working to build fully outdoor kennels, again allowing dogs to see daily sunshine.
Visit cvpaws for more information on the shelter.