Did you know that Cape Coral has their own Animal Shelter?
I have the wonderful privilege to take a private tour of the shelter and it really opened my eyes to the different approaches an animal shelter can take.
From the moment you walk inside the double doors, you are immediately welcomed by a lovely receptionist. Around the room are benches to make yourself comfortable while you wait to go to the back. On the right side of the entrance is also a small gift shop that you decide how much you want to give for the items you wish to receive. The honor system goes a long way and can be very successful. Behind the front desk is a large plaque that shares the names of people who have donated a large sum to keep the shelter doors open. Also, did you know that the Cape Coral Animal Shelter is a 501 (c)(3)? That means that they are a non-profitable business. They literally keep the lights on by the generous donations they receive and with the help pf all the volunteers.
The Cape Coral Animal Shelter is considered a "No Kill" shelter, but they don't like to use that term. If the fur baby is suffering from an illness that is causing immense pain, is untreatable, or if the veterinarian deems it necessary, they they will put the poor animal out of misery. But they ABSOLUTELY DO NOT kill just because they have "run out of space" in the shelter.
As you make your way to the back, the first area you come across are the feline rooms. They look so comfortable, that I wouldn't mind moving in myself! The first thing I noticed is there are NO BARS! They aren't kept in cages or kennels. They are in a fully air conditioned room with giant windows that will allow you to see the precious felines. Inside the rooms they have clipboards that will tell you all you need to know about each feline whom inside. The coolest part of their rooms are that they have an entire wall of interchangeable parts. They staff/volunteers can change around the toys, the cat homes, and the resting features. Its a great way to keep the felines brains active. They could be in the same room for the entire length of stay, but never know it with all the changing parts!
One of the things mentioned during the tour was how cool the AC units are for each room. No one is breathing the same air! The way they have it set up is absolutely amazing and smart. That way if one room of felines are sick with something contagious, it wont be spread through the air vents to another feline room! When they started working on the construction back in September of 2018, they wanted a state of the art facility that would be fully functional and comfortable for all pets whom are staying with them for any length of time. The owner of the building even toured around the country to see how other shelters operated and to learn what would be the best way to make the Cape Coral Animal Shelter brilliant for both the staff/volunteers and the fur babies.
After the feline rooms, are the dog rooms. Again they have AC units, no bars (just windows), they each have their own comfortable bed, and lots and lots of toys! They too have a clipboards that will give you all the appropriate information. Each large dog room also has a door to the outside so that they can get some exercise! My tour was during the late afternoon/early evening so all the canines were sleepy and they looked so comfortable in their beds. I have personally volunteered at several shelters and I can honestly say that all the animals I saw, looked comfortable being here waiting for their forever home. The outdoor area for canines were just as beautiful as the rest of the property! They had separate sections for the big dogs and small dogs. What areas could be covered, were. And for the small dogs/puppies they even have fake grass with a filtration system below for easy clean up! The Cape Coral Animal Shelter really did think of everything!
Cape Coral Animal Shelter opened their doors in March of 2020. It became so popular that they immediately started thinking of the next phase. They wanted to expand so they are able to continue to keep their animals comfortable. That being said, they are expanding! The Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be building a whole new building that will be two levels instead of the one it is now. The building now will be completely flipped into a Veterinarian Hospital, for the Veterinarian Staff and Doctor that is already on site. Thats right! The Cape Coral Animal Shelter even has their own vet team to make the animals comfortable and to spay/neuter and keep everyone up to date on shots before they are given to their forever homes!
Now, when I say they want to make their animals comfortable during their length of stay I mean it. Once the animal is taken into the care of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, you are one of theirs for life. This really pulled at my heart strings when I learned this. What that means is if something happens to the adopters where they are unable to keep the animal that was adopted, they are able to take them back to the Animal Shelter and they will be welcomed back with no questions asked. Adopting a pet is always a lifelong commitment, but its amazing to know that if something terrible was to happen and you cant care for the pet anymore, that they have a home to go back to. And the Cape Coral Animal Shelter is just that. A beautiful, fully functional, comfortable, home.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering, please visit their website. Or if you just want to come by and find your new addition to the family, all the information will be listed on their as well.
