Members of PAWS plan fund-raiser for new shelter

Dogs with the best tail wag, best ears, or happiest smile may be eligible for big prizes at the Dog Daze of Coeur d’Alene next Saturday. The “dog show for every dog” event is sponsored by People for Animal Welfare and Safety, a new nonprofit organization whose members have high hopes for furry friends in this region.

The president of PAWS, Jennifer Jenkins, is an animal lover, owner of rescued pets and former volunteer for Kootenai Humane Society and the Coeur d’Alene Animal Shelter. Through her experiences she realized that, despite all that the rescue organizations do, it is not enough. She believes the community needs a new shelter.

Jenkins envisions a state-of-the art facility that would fill in the gaps of the current system. She has no unkind words for the area’s shelters. They do the best they can with what they have, she said. But the animal population is greater than the current shelters can handle. She points out that the KHS shelter is aging and since it adopted a “no kill” policy, animals are turned away when it is full. The Coeur d’Alene shelter is run by the Watson agency, a private security firm that handles animal control contracts. Jenkins said she believes it’s for-profit status deters community members from offering donations to make the facility better

“A lot of volunteers have a difficult time and the public has a difficult time giving to a for-profit entity,” she said.

This leaves some animals with no place to call home. Through PAWS, Jenkins wants to use computer technology and network with all regional shelters and rescue groups. Keeping databases of animals up to date could improve adoption efforts. She hopes to reform the current method for handling lost and found animals as well.

She learned of the shortcomings firsthand when her dog wandered away on a mountain near Cataldo. There was no central number for Jenkins to call to see if her dog had been found.

“I had a list of phone numbers I had to accumulate on my own,” she said.

Depending on where lost dogs are retrieved, they may wind up in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene or any number of area shelters, Jenkins said. Animals are relocated due to space issues as well. Jenkins hopes her group can provide an online service with a complete list of places to look for lost animals. This could free up shelter space since many animals are strays.

Jenkins’ dog was found 10 days later with the help of reward signs she posted, but she thinks about what might have happened if her dog ended up in one of the shelters that euthanizes unclaimed pets.

“We want to try to keep a lost animal as long as possible,” she said.

Dog Daze is intended as a fun day of dog appreciation and a chance to introduce PAWS to the community. The group will unveil its business plan and floor plan for a new animal shelter constructed with adequate air circulation, drainage, and isolation rooms to curtail disease.

“It’s not just an idea, but something that we want to make a reality,” Jenkins said. “It’s not just wishful thinking. We want to make it right.”

Dog Daze will host nine regional shelters and rescue groups that have been invited to bring adoptable dogs to enter into the day’s contests. Local dog-friendly businesses have donated goods for prize baskets, which include items such as grooming services, vet coupons, toys and treats. Vendors are expected to show specialty dog items and offer doggie makeovers and massages.

PAWS member Valicity Marshall started working with the group during her internship for a business degree through Lewis-Clark State College. She helped devise the business plan and researched other facilities to come up with the shelter design. She learned that a proper building is extremely important to animal health and welfare.

“A clean facility can increase adoption rates by 100 percent,” she said.

The needs of PAWS are great. A two-acre building site is desired, preferably in Coeur d’Alene, where it will not be “out of sight and out of mind,” Jenkins said. A goal of $1 million is set to build the structure and hire experienced staff.

“We definitely can’t do it by ourselves,” Jenkins said. “We’re looking for the public’s help.”