New hours may help Gwinnett shelter place more pets

The Gwinnett Animal Shelter may be able to keep serving would-be pet owners who are night owls.

Alarmed by recent cutbacks in the shelter’s hours of service, members of the animal advisory council have voted to recommend expanding the shelter’s hours to include two weeknights and Sunday afternoon.

At a special called meeting Tuesday evening, council members tried to find ways to provide the public with more access to adoption and intake services without raising costs.

The council decided to propose changing the shelter’s hours of operation two days a week so it opens up later in the day and remains open at night. It would also have Sunday hours.

The proposal now goes before the county commission for approval.

“We need to be really creative and come up with something that will work,” said Gail LaBerge, council chairwoman.

Shelter manager police Lt. Mary Lou Respess said she had no doubt employees would be open to anything that would increase the number of adoptions.

“We hate that we’re not open evenings anymore,” she said.

The shelter was forced to stop operating Tuesday and Thursday evenings last month after county commissioners slashed $20 million from the 2009 operating budget. The move ended any overtime, Respess said, which had been needed to staff the facility in the evenings.

The shelter is currently open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Council member Dennis Kronenfeld said that from January to May, there were 129 adoptions, 96 reclaims and 23 rescues recorded during the evening hours. These hours accounted for nearly 250 animals not euthanized. Restoring the evening hours, he said, will provide many residents who work days an opportunity to adopt an animal.

With the addition of Sunday hours, he said, the county should actually save money by increasing adoptions and reducing the number of animals euthanized.

Virginia Keller, president of the Spay Neuter Action Coalition of Georgia, told the council she would like to see a greater push for volunteer involvement. She advocated an adoption network outside of the shelter to assist with placements.

Last year, the county’s animal control unit handled some 13,000 animals. Of that number, 7,434 were euthanized. The shelter took in 4,461 animals and recorded 29,539 visitors.

The shelter, located at 884 Winder Highway, Lawrenceville, charges $100 for adoptions, which includes vet fees. There is a discount for senior citizens.