TOP PHOTO:  Refurbishment work continues at the Campbell County Animal Shelter.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – The Adrion W. Baird Animal Shelter (above) is currently accepting animals in emergency situations only, according to shelter director Patricia Siwinski.    This includes bite dogs and surrenders.  The shelter kennels have been taken out of the building due to the epoxy coating that had to be put down on the floor and walls and there is “literally nowhere to put the animals.” According to Siwinski, the building has been “taken apart” leaving no where for animals to be kept. She said citizens can call Claiborne and Union County shelters to see if they have room for animals to be taken there, but that it would depend upon availability of room and whether or not the shelter would accept an animal.

Kennel cages have been removed from the shelter, leaving no where for animals to be kept. 

Currently the Campbell County shelter has five cats and three bite dogs in its care. The bite dogs are being housed in wire crates, which is “unsafe and a risk to shelter staff,” according to Siwinski. The other 163 animals had to be fostered out or boarded when construction on the epoxy coating began. The shelter building is owned by the county and is leased by the Friends of Campbell County Animals, (FCCA). The animals were supposed to be out of foster care and the shelter up and running by now, but the epoxy coating that was administered did not adhere properly, placing the project back at square one.

This photo shows the failing of the epoxy coating that was sprayed on the kennel walls and floor. 

According to Siwinski, the original project was only supposed to take a month or less,  and it’s now going on three months. Siwinski said the county has been operating like a county without a shelter, using fostering and boarding for animals. “I’m out of foster homes and my hands are tied. I’m not sure what to do,” she said.

Siwinski said she found out Monday that county commissioners planned to bid the project out this time and that a pre-bid walk-through would have to take place before the county would make a decision on awarding the bid, and she had no idea how long that process would take. She said she had begged commissioners repeatedly to get the shelter fixed so it could reopen. “We’re at the mercy of the county commissioners; I have no way of knowing when this is going to get better.  I have no where to put any animals, and I am out of foster homes,” Siwinski said.  She added that she and her staff would continue operating the best they could, but they were out of options until the building was fixed and the kennels usable again. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 03/11/2020-6AM)