Daily exercise is critical for the physical and mental health of shelter animals.
While cats and kittens cavort around multilevel platforms inside, dogs need to go out to the exercise yard. The dog yards at the shelter had poor drainage and, during the rainy season, were muddy with pooled water contaminated from feces. This posed a health hazard for the dogs. The large wood chips in the yard could not be cleaned and sanitized to eliminate parasites and disease and were rough on paws. In addition, many dogs like to eat wood chips which poses choking risk and can be dangerous when ingested.
In 2021, APS-FH began a campaign to raise funds to complete excavation work to improve drainage and to install K9 Astroturf in the shelter’s dog yards. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we were able to complete the project this spring.
We now have beautiful “ForeverLawn” turf in both dog yards and what a difference it has made for the dogs and the staff! As you know, it continues to rain, so it is wonderful that the dogs no longer come in from the yard covered in mud and must be wiped down or bathed after yard-play. Dogs can go outside for longer periods of time because staff are no longer need to stay out with them to assure that they don’t eat wood chips. Little dogs never liked the wood chips, but they do love the turf. You can see in the photos how much all the dogs are loving romping and playing on the new turf. And, best of all, the drainage is vastly improved, and the new turf is easy to clean and sanitize so no more hazardous health conditions.
We are immensely grateful – the dogs and the staff thank you!