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The city of Taft seeks volunteers to create “no-kill” animal shelter

Posted at 5:52 PM, Dec 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-14 18:52:59-05

The city of Taft is working to save dogs and cats from euthanization.

Animal control says an estimated 500 animals find themselves at their facility each year; about 99 percent are put down to make room for more animals, but they have a plan to change that.

They are working on becoming a no-kill shelter, with Kayla Denney leading the project.

Denney has worked with local non-profits for nearly 15 years but says this is quite the challenge.

“I would go home and almost get tears in my eyes with the sense of frustration and how am I going to save the animals on my own cause I can’t,” says Animal control officer Kayla Denney.

For starts, the shelter was in bad shape.

“It was a mess, things were rusted out,” says volunteer Shane Fulp.

Only half of the facility was completed. They also lacked basic necessities such as dog beds, paper towels and paperwork.

“My first week I spent making adoption applications, adoption contracts,” says Denney.

But things quickly changed, after her friend posted a wish list on Facebook that went viral.

Denney says they were adopted by a group called Blue Healer Heaven.

“Within a week I had over 500 boxes of things delivered, between paper towels, dog bowls,” says Denney.

They also raised more than $5,000 online, those funds were matched by the Petco Foundation.

Denney says local companies have also donated equipment as well as employees to finish the second part of the shelter, but they need more volunteers.

“That could even be high school kids, anybody, we need our buildings painted people to make blankets,” says Denney.

They are also looking for long-term volunteers to help foster animals, drive them to rescues in other cities and help with the paperwork.

“We haven’t had to euthanize one, we’ve sent 35 animals out since November 13,” says Denney.

“The reality of making this no-kill will become reality one day,” says Fulp.

If you are interested in joining the effort to save animals you can call Animal Control at 361-528-6011 or email: taftanimalcontrol@taftpolice.org