PORT ANGELES – The Olympic Peninsula Humane Society will reopen its dog facility this Saturday after being closed for almost eight months.
Community members are invited to drop by between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on March 1 to see improvements that have been made to the Bark House facility.
“Just to show people we haven’t been twiddling our thumbs,” Olympic Peninsula Humane Society (OPHS) Board President and acting Executive Director Paul Stehr-Green said.
Beginning March 1, individuals will be able to turn in stray or surrendered dogs to the facility. Before bringing the pets over, however, individuals must fill out a ‘dog surrender’ or ‘found stray’ form, located on the OPHS’s website.
After that, OPHS will schedule an appointment with the individual. This will ensure relevant vet staff and animal specialists are onsite to turn the dog over to the Bark House.
At first, Bark House will only have 10 kennels open. However, Stehr-Green said OPHS hopes to open the entire east wing around April, which would open a total of 18 kennels.
OPHS might open more kennels in the future, especially if it re-establishes its contract with the Clallam County. While Stehr-Green said OPHS is open to restoring that relationship, it would need to look a bit different this time around.
Dogs will be available to adopt two weeks after they are turned in, due to the quarantine period, provided they are healthy. Adoption fees are going to be the same as they were before the closure, Stehr-Green said, and will vary based on the dog’s age.
“We’re excited,” Stehr-Green added. “I want everybody to appreciate what hard work everybody has done.”
On the Facebook post announcing the opening date, many individuals asked for more “accountability” and “clarity” regarding why the Bark House shut down in the first place.
Last July, OPHS announced it was shuttering the dog facility due to “unsustainable, high operating costs.”
Since then, the executive director and other employees left the organization. The OPHS Board saw almost a complete overhaul and the remaining staff worked to identify what had gone wrong, implementing cultural and practical changes to avoid repeating those mistakes.
“Yes, there were mistakes made in the past,” Stehr-Green said, noting that he spent the first month of his role as president simply discussing those mistakes. “We’re hoping that the new protocols are going to keep the dogs happier and healthier, and therefore more adoptable.”
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
