ROCKPORT — ]Dog Officer Mindy Trafton will never again have to turn her back on untagged strays once a dog holding facility is established at the town's transfer station.
Selectmen unanimously approved the installation of the temporary shelter adjacent to the bathrooms at the Park and Ride lot. The Public Works Board of Commissioners had already approved the shelter.
"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed Trafton. "I'm very excited, it sounds ideal, like it will be a nice little place."
The shelter will boast heat, air conditioning and running water while providing lost pets with shelter from the elements and wild animals that pose a threat, such as coyotes. It will not cost Rockport taxpayers a dime, either, said Recreation Committee Chairwoman Donna Marshall, who teamed with local veterinarian Anne Lewis to raise money for the purchase of a small, prefab facility.
The women do not have a building permit yet, but have said the facility will be constructed to all proper codes.
"We're real excited about it," Lewis said.
Outgoing Public Works director John Tomasz had supported the measure.
"If, by law, the town needs to have a dog shelter, then we should have a facility," Tomasz said. "The hard part is trying to find a location with utilities nearby and that will not impact the neighbors."
Tomasz said there appears to be sufficient land, plus water, sewer and electricity hook-ups near the shelter's location.
Marshall said it was the town's duty to have a temporary holding facility.
"It's not only necessary on the humane side, but also legally necessary," Marshall said. "It's a temporary shelter, just to get a dog or cat, or even a ferret, off the street safely until an owner can be identified. After 10 days, the animal would be transported to a (permanent) no-kill facility for future adoption."
Marshall said the selectmen's approval was the latest key step in a process that began about a year ago. She said town officials have been very supportive and credited Tomasz with going "above the call of duty" helping them with the project.
"All we were concerned about was where the shelter would be located," said Commissioners Chairman Robert Burbank. "Tomasz told us the location, which was fine. Then we wanted to make sure we were not responsible for maintaining it and we're not, so we didn't have any concerns."
Police Chief Thomas McCarthy also supported the shelter.
"It's a good place for it," McCarthy said. "It's far from (homes), so barking will have minimal impact."
Once constructed, the building will be turned over to the town. Marshall said she hopes to establish a revolving account for building maintenance and other necessary supplies such as food. Money for the account will come from fees collected from pet owners whose pets end up in the shelter and supplemented by an annual fundraiser.
Trafton had worked on and off for the past six years trying to find a solution for Rockport's temporary dog-storage problem. Trafton admits untagged strays are rare in Rockport, but said it's important to have somewhere to properly house them when such cases are discovered.
Trafton's efforts multiplied last August after she escorted a stray black Labrador retriever adorned only with a purple collar but no tags out of Happy Tails Pet Supply. Seconds later, the dog was struck by a motorist on Railroad Avenue. The dog was uninjured and taken home by a good Samaritan until it could be reunited with its owners, but the incident rattled Trafton and others who witnessed the near tragedy.
Bayridge Lane resident and owner of the Cat Doctor of Gloucester, Lewis, was one of those appalled by the close call. Lewis, together with Marshall, who has also picked up a stray dog in the past only to have officials tell her to let it go, came up with the idea to purchase a 10-by-20 foot prefabricated building from Smith Hardware and install it at the transfer station where barking would not bother neighbors.
The dog facility will not be staffed and the women plan to ask residents to donate money to purchase the shelter, expected to cost about $12,000. The town has already established a gift fund; those wanting to help the cause can make checks payable to the Town of Rockport with the words "dog shelter" or "dog facility" on the memo line.
"The wonderful thing about this is that it's all privately funded," Trafton said. "It's not putting the town out any money except for electrical costs."
Trafton said Lewis, wife of selectman candidate Christopher Lewis, inspired her to continue to fight.
"She was the angel at my back the last year and a half as I've tried to get this done," Trafton said.
Trafton does not pick up stray or untagged dogs because the town does not have a kennel. By law, Trafton would be obligated to care for a dog for 10 days at her own expense if she were to take one in. Trafton does pick up tagged dogs because she can return them immediately to their rightful owners.
In the past, Trafton had offered to purchase a kennel license to keep the dogs at her home. However, Rockport does not issue kennel licenses because, according to town bylaw, no resident can own more than three dogs at once.
Marshall said she also will donate an electronic chip reader so Trafton can identify pets with chip implants. Marshall said the company manufacturing the reader will donate the tool free of charge.
"All dogs should be chipped," Marshall said. "It's essential, you never know how you will become separated from your animal."
One year, untagged canines were kept penned inside a fenced-off area between the Public Works yard and police station on Upper Main Street. The first winter of its existence, the area was destroyed by a plow truck that mistakenly ripped down some of the fencing. Trafton was not particularly sad to see it go, however, as it left dogs exposed to the elements and wild animals. Town employees and nearby residents also complained of excessive barking when a dog was kept inside the fence.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
