KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Kent County Animal Shelter has temporarily closed its new outdoor addition just days after opening it due to storm damage.
Two years ago, the Marie Schipper Trust donated $90,000 to the animal shelter, which was used to open a brand-new outdoor area for the shelter dogs to use. Previously, the dogs had a smaller outdoor enclosure with only cement. The new "dog park," which opened on June 17, spans a large space with trees and grass.
On Tuesday, strong thunderstorms blew through West Michigan, with over 70 mph winds causing widespread damage like fallen trees and downed power lines. Angela Hollinshead, director of the animal shelter, said two large oak trees on their property fell in the storms.
"The fencing is damaged, so it's not open right now for the dogs for use, but we're hoping in the next week to two weeks that we can open that back up and get that fence repaired," she said.
In the meantime, the dogs will go back to using the shelter's other outdoor area.
"We have a small enclosure off of the back of our building that's a fenced area. It's cement, so it's not as good as an area as our dog park is, but it still provides really good enrichment so they can get exercise," Hollinshead said. "We can do our playgroups out there, so they still have that opportunity to get outside, get that fresh air, get really running up to full speed, and really just help take away some of that stress."
Hollinshead said the repairs are expected to cost about $1,000, but the money will not come from the animal shelter's budget.
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