The Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will build a 31,000 square foot shelter on the campus of Louisiana State University.  The cost of the shelter has been covered by private donations totaling 8 million dollars, as well as donations of labor and other services.

Dr. Christel C. Slaughter, chair of the Board of Directors for the Companion Animal Alliance, says that construction should be finished by summer or early fall of 2017.  The new shelter will house about the same number of dogs and cats as the old shelter, but there will be increased room for horses, as well as proper enclosures for rats and snakes.

The shelter will be located on 7 leased acres near the School of Veterinary Medicine.  There will be ample opportunity for graduate students to practice the diagnostic skills they will need in emergencies or in shelter work:  examining animals that show up with no medical history and no caring owner. Undergraduates will be able to volunteer at the shelter.  According to Dr. Joel Baines, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, such volunteer work is important for helping a student decide whether to pursue a veterinary career.

Illustration provided by Dr. Christel C. Slaughter