The Office of Animal Control assumes a unique position in our community. Our shelter is a humane organization that helps and protects animals; a law enforcement agency that protects property, people and their interests; and a public health entity that protects people from the dangers and diseases of animals.
The St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter has always strived to be progressive and innovative in fulfilling our duties. Our ultimate goal is to decrease the numbers of unwanted pets in our community, which will in turn reduce overall animal problems, and ease the burden placed on taxpayers. Because our existing shelter has been severely outgrown, we have been forced to be reactive to animal control problems and issues. This means we have had no choice but to use euthanasia as the primary means to control the problem of pet overpopulation.
Ground was broken on October 30, 2003 to kick off the beginning phase of site preparation for a new animal shelter facility to be located on Paris Road in Chalmette. When all phases of construction are complete, the new animal shelter will allow St. Bernard Parish to become proactive and end the senseless killing of adoptable pets in our community. The new animal control center will be our cornerstone in reaching this attainable goal.
The new shelter will provide much needed space that will enable St. Bernard Parish to:
Hold healthy, adoptable pets longer; pets in the shelter will not die simply because of a lack of space
Expand our pet foster program, since people who foster will be assured that the shelter will always have room for returnees
Enable our shelter to better assist other agencies like the Red Cross and the Battered Women's Shelter when emergency pet housing is needed
The new shelter will have a surgery room that will enable St. Bernard Parish to:
Spay and neuter all pets prior to adoption, saving time and the expense of having to follow up and to insure 100% compliance with this state law
Combined with having more space, have the facility for treating minor medical problems of otherwise adoptable pets that we are now forced to kill
Expand Friends of the Animal Shelter's Spay/ Neuter Intervention Program (S.N.I.P.) by having the service located here in St. Bernard.
The new shelter will have an education and hearing room that will allow for:
Proactive educational programs, such as behavior classes whose goal is to help owners keep their animals, instead of giving them up for behavior problems
Animal control designation hearings, saving time and expense for participants and animal control officers
Development of "Animal Court" to keep minor animal control cases out of our already overburdened judical court system
Convenient and suitable location for fund raisers
The new shelter's location will provide high visibility and convenience that will:
Increase awareness of our shelter, allowing residents and nonresidents alike a greater opportunity to utilize our services and programs
Increase adoptions and owner reclaims
The parish has purchased the property, secured some funding, the architect has almost completed the plans, and the initial site preparation has begun. Now is the time for the community to join with the shelter and its Friends of the Animal Shelter to insure that all phases of the animal control center are built as quickly as possible. For more information on how you can help or make a donation, call the shelter at 504 278-1535 and ask for the manager.
