OUR SHELTER WILL BE CLOSED TO PUBLIC VISITATION ON WEDNESDAYS BEGINNING 1/22/2025
Did you know that for the past several decades, our shelter has been open to the public 7 days a week? Monday through Sunday between 12noon and 4pm. Our contract with the Towns of Warwick and Chester stipulated that the facility would be open 28 hours a week to the public mainly to facilitate adoptions. So between the hours of 6 in the morning to noon is cleaning, feeding and medicating time.
Between noon and 4pm is reserved for visitors and from 4pm to 6 pm is a repeat of the morning routine. In the 1990s, the Board of Directors decided that the shelter should also be open one evening a week to allow those who have regular work schedules the opportunity to visit even though the facility was open on both Saturdays and Sundays. This meant longer days for staff, little to no visitors during that time and a total disruption of routine for the animals. It didn’t take long to resort to the original schedule. In the beginning, the shelter was only for dogs. Oh how times have changed. According to Forbes “Pet ownership in the U.S. has jumped significantly over the past three decades. As of 2024, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet. That’s up from 56% in 1988, pet ownership statistics show. From companionship to emotional support, pets are a vital part of their owners’ lives. In fact, 97% of pet owners consider their pets to be a part of their family. 42% of dog owners and 43% of cat owners got their pets from a store, while 38% of dog owners and 40% of cat owners got their pets from an animal shelter or rescue”- Forbes Pet Ownership Statistics 2025.
Dogs are still the most popular, followed closely by cats, then rabbits, small pocket pets, birds, fish and reptiles. Many of these species end up in shelters and rescues these days.
Here we are in 2025 and it’s time for a change.
After careful consideration and the need to have at least one day a week set aside to accomplish tasks that otherwise are repeatedly overlooked, going forward the shelter will be closed to the public on Wednesdays. No visitors, no adoptions, no interruptions, except that Animal Control will remain on duty for its designated responsibilities.
This one day “off” will allow for in depth cleaning, reorganizing, inventory, staff training, special attention to the animals etc. It really comes down to only 4 hours, but so much could be accomplished in that short time.
In addition, the new NYS Guidelines for Care in Animal Shelters are being implemented this year. The requirements are extensive involving sanitation, isolation, socialization, sound-proofing, maintenance and reporting protocols.
So please take note that the animal shelter will be closed every Wednesday, and remain open six days a week by appointment only and always available for emergency situations.