BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Benson Animal Shelter reopened its doors to the public this week after months of closure for major renovations and staffing improvements.
The shelter underwent extensive repairs costing the city of Benson roughly $75,000, which was budgeted and approved by city council. The renovations included roof repairs and new flooring inside the kennels to make the facility safer for both animals and staff.
"It was a huge renovation. I mean, it completely, we completely got at the animal shelter and then created a new one," said Greg Volker, city manager.
The closure wasn't just about physical improvements. Safety concerns for employees and volunteers made the renovations necessary.
"It was just a safety hazard for the employees as well. Because there's a lot of city employees that work here, there are a lot of volunteers that work here, it was a hazard for everyone," Volker said.
During the closure, the city hired new staff, including Animal Control Supervisor Barbara Mundis.
"The ability to be kind of in the front end of all of the new renovations and kind of somewhat recreating the program was really attractive to me," Mundis said.
While the shelter officially opened Monday, it began taking in dogs back in October to address community needs.
"We had a waiting list of people that were calling and leaving messages. Some were in very desperate situations. They needed to rehome their pets, and that's why we're here. We need to be able to serve our community," Mundis said.
The renovated facility is already seeing success stories. On Friday, a dog named Ed found his forever home after three weeks at the shelter.
"It's really emotional. I mean, that's why I do this. You know, this is this is about them, and being able to see them finding their forever home is amazing," Mundis said.
The shelter is open Tuesday through Thursday, and two Saturdays a month.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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