ST. LOUIS — The nonprofit that helps care for St. Louis’ animal shelter in Midtown is strapped for space to house pets and has eyed an old St. Louis jail facility to help with expansion.
On Tuesday, CARE STL on Walnut Place inched closer to 200 animals between their own rented facility and the city-owned shelter building on Clark Avenue, with only 70 kennels to fill.
“It’s hard to find a balance,” said Dionne Flowers Baker, vice president and former alderwoman for Ward 2.
Baker noted that more people have started to drop their pets off because they can no longer take care of them. Some leave their pets outside for staff to find when they come into work.
Intake especially increased after the pandemic.
In addition to space being a challenge, the nonprofit is working with $950,000, contrary to the nonprofit's $1.6 million goal to help with workforce and operating expenses.
“In order for us to be able to pay that staff to have us where we need to be so that our staff isn't stressed so the animals can get clean and get out if they could once or twice a day,” Baker said.
The anxiety the animals get from dwelling in close quarters is what concerns Medical Director Keri Morgan the most.
“Stress is really bad for the immune system, so they are really prone to getting all sorts of diseases, so we see a lot of respiratory infections,” Morgan added.
The physician is also worried about the paws and claws getting agitated from scratching on the kennels.
"I'm repairing this wound ... putting them on antibiotics ... and then they are going back and then I don't know if they are able to heal as fast as they normally would if it wasn't for overcrowding," she said.
CARE STL has a place in mind for expansion, an empty jail facility in north St. Louis, once commonly known as the "Workhouse." It’s in Ward 4, which is Baker’s former ward.
“The noise level would be better not only for the animals but for our staff. There is so much ground that we can use for them to get out, run out and have enrichment,” Baker said.
On Monday, the staff took concerns and ideas to city’s Board of Aldermen.
Weng Horak, CARE STL’s founder and CEO, said he mapped out three different uses for parts of the former jail property.
- Intake of dangerous dogs, strays which they would help through a capital campaign fund.
- Vocational courses for people to learn how to do dog grooming, a cat café to train baristas, and other jobs.
- Program for homeless with pets and those dealing with domestic violence.
When asked about the possibility of the "Workhouse" being used for this purpose, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office provided the following statement:
In her State of the City, Mayor Jones emphasized that any future use of the facility formerly known as the Workhouse must be forward-thinking while also addressing critical needs for the city. We appreciate the many proposals submitted to reimagine the use of this space and continue to solicit community input for a long-term, permanent use.
People who are looking to adopt can visit the center’s website. CARE STL is also hiring animal caregivers.