PHOENIX, Ore. – With triple digit heat coming to the Rogue Valley, some animal lovers are concerned about the animals at the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
About 6 months ago, Jackson County decided that volunteers, who help take care of the animals and get them out of their kennels for walks, would no longer be allowed at the shelter on Mondays.
The Jackson County Animal Shelter is ran through the Health and Human Services agency in conjunction with the animal control department.
The shelter is closed to volunteers and the public on holidays as well, meaning its closed this coming Tuesday.
The animal shelter says even on days without volunteers, staff are there to provide adequate, safe care for all of its animals.
“We have staff there every morning that spend their full eight hours of work taking care of these animals,” said Stacy Brubaker, Department Director for Health and Human Services. “[We are] switching some of the time frames of walking, play groups or any of those type of things to earlier, cooler hours of the day will start effective immediately.”
Brubaker says staff are at the facility between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Some staff members spend their entire shift solely dedicated to the care of the animals.
The full heat advisory says dog walking shifts will be scheduled at 10-12 p.m. and 12-2 p.m. No dog walking will happen between 2 and 4 p.m.
Brubaker says the heat protocols apply to both staff and volunteers.
She says the regulations will work to keep people and animals safe under extreme weather conditions. Animals will have access to water and shade at all times during the heat warning.
Two weeks ago a petition, reportedly signed by 1200 county residents, was submitted to Jackson County Commissioners asking to reopen the shelter to volunteers on Mondays.
That’s in addition to other changes at the county-run shelter.
Commissioners have indicated no changes will be made any time soon despite the petition.
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