The T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter hopes to eventually open its doors once again.
For now, the shelter is only open by appointment, but have resumed open hours on Saturday.
“We’re going to open back up on Saturdays. So we’ll be open Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only,” said Deb Watkins, Director of Animal Services with the Shelter.
The number of pets in the shelter has been steadily less than it was prior to the pandemic. In April 54 pets were adopted out and 24 animals were claimed by their owners. During the past few weeks, Watkins says they’ve painted their cat area inside the shelter.
“Kitten season is upon us. We’re starting to get some baby kittens in that we’ve fostered out and are bottle feeding and so we have a lot to do at the shelter on a daily basis and my staff has been amazing,” she said.
Watkins says while more people are stuck at home, it’s a good time to re-connect with their pets and make sure they are staying active.
“We do encourage people to get out and exercise with their pets. Pets help reduce our stress, but it’s our responsibility to help them with their anxiety and their stress. It is our responsibility to provide that exercise and environmental enrichment for our dogs and cats,” she said.
Watkins says it’s important, even for pets to maintain physical distancing outside the household and says cats should be kept indoors when possible. Donations for medical care and enrichment of animals are always accepted. The Shelter is located at 605 Levee Drive.
