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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Idaho animal shelter making move


 Katrina Sawhill, right, bonds with a young female Lab that her family is thinking of adopting, in the lobby of the new Coeur d'Alene Animal Shelter. Her grandfather, Robert Sawhill, and brother, Jeremy Sawhill, talk with manager Debi Slater. 
 (Liz Kishimoto / The Spokesman-Review)

The Coeur d’Alene Animal Shelter is now located in a light yellow brick building with a rusty red corrugated iron roof.

If the sign still isn’t up yet, look for an Animal Control vehicle parked outside, or follow the sound of barking.

The dogs are excited about the move, explained shelter manager Debi Slater.

“They’re not normally this loud,” Slater said over the din of barks echoing in the mostly empty warehouse that now houses the shelter.

“This is an adventure for them.”

She can’t say that much for the humans who have been lugging kennels, file cabinets and food for the past few days.

The owner of their previous location sold the building, so the shelter has until Friday to completely move to the new place a few blocks away, at 125 Hazel Ave. – near the intersection of Third Street and Government Way.

The good news is that the weekend “moving sale” helped about 10 dogs and seven cats find homes, Slater said, though dozens more remain at the shelter.

Piles of miscellanea – golden retriever-face clocks, multicolored blankets, white fans – speak to how much sorting out remains to be done.

But like a family moving to a new house, the shelter did get rid of a Dumpster’s worth of “stuff,” Slater said.

Back at the old location, Michelle Gilbertson power washed the floors of the garage-turned-kennel, which she managed, while a volunteer vacuumed inside near the empty cat cages.

With a small staff, the move has been hard, Gilbertson said.

“But we’re getting there, we’re doing it.”