By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
Although most City of Yukon offices are closed due to COVID-19, a reduced staff remains busy caring for dogs and cats housed inside the new Yukon Animal Control Facility.
An animal rescue recently came to Yukon to take some animals and free up space on the adoption side of the 12,000 square-foot City-owned building, 701 Inla (unit A).
“Our goal is to always have a live outcome for all of our animals,” Yukon Animal Control Facility supervisor Kelly Robichaud said.
With space at a premium, Yukon Animal Control personnel have temporarily stopped taking in stray animals. But there are still plenty of loving dogs and cats who need new homes.
“If we can get some dogs and some cats adopted, that would be great,” Robichaud said. “Everything we have is very sweet. We don’t have anything that I would consider anywhere near aggressive or not safe with kids.
“I know everybody sees that all City buildings are closed – which is true – but we’re still open for business.”
The City of Yukon Animal Control Facility debuted in late January featuring 40 dogs runs and 86 cat condos, with separate rooms for quarantined, stray and court-held animals.
The more animals that can be placed in new homes, the less that face being euthanized.
Prospective adopters are encouraged to call the Yukon Animal Control Facility at (405) 350-4PET (4738) after 11 a.m.
“All they have to do is call and make an appointment and we can usually get them in the same day … it’s usually in the afternoon because we are short on staff,” Robichaud said.
“We clean all morning and then after lunch we start seeing people for adoptions.”
$35 ADOPTION FEE
To see dogs and cats available for adoption, visit Yukon Animal Control’s Facebook page to view photos and descriptions.
“We try to keep our Facebook page as up-to-date as possible,” Robichaud said.
The adoption fee is $35; but that does not include vaccinations or spaying/neutering.
“We were trying to get set up to do that, but then all this (COVID-19) happened and budgets are frozen,” Robichaud said.
Anyone who adopts an animal from the Yukon Animal Control Facility is eligible to receive a $30 refund on the adoption fee if the dog or cat is spayed/neutered within 60 days.
“With COVID and with vets only doing emergency procedures, we can give extensions on that as well,” Robichaud said.
City of Yukon buildings – except for the police station and municipal court office – are closed to the public through April 30.
Yukon Animal Control staff remains working although their doors are officially closed.
“We’re still basically able to offer most of our services as far as adoptions,” Robichaud noted. “And we’re still able to care for all the animals. … we’re just trying to get through like everybody else is.”
The Yukon City Council took swift action March 25 to close City buildings after Gov. Stitt issued an executive order closing “non-essential” businesses in counties with positive COVID-19 cases.
The City of Yukon took “these measures to limit the public’s potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus,” according to a notice on the city’s website.
“The City will constantly monitor and reassess the situation to promote the health and safety of its citizens.”
