Three weeks after a fire forced PAWS Tinley Park to evacuate all animals housed at the facility, officials at the south suburban animal shelter say pet adoptions are still happening. , said it would take about a month for the dislocated pets to be returned to the renovated shelter. Made available thanks to support from the community.
PAWS Tinley Park President Terry Buckley said the fire, which started in the facility's laundry room, damaged walls and ceilings throughout the building, with most of the damage coming from smoke.
“Every room must be washed and painted, both floors and ceilings. Due to smoke damage, all dropped ceiling tiles must be removed and replaced, and the entire ventilation system must be cleaned,” Buck says. Mr. Lee said. “Now we need to check the electricity. We need to make sure it's safe and nothing is on fire.”
Buckley said PAWS is using the temporary closure as an opportunity to clean up and repair the damage, as well as replace old tile floors throughout the building.
“It's not the best shelter and it's pretty worn out,” she said. “So while all the animals and workers are out of the building, we're putting down epoxy flooring. There's a layer of epoxy added on top to protect it from claws and urine, like you would see in a garage. It's so easy to clean.”
Buckley said insurance won't pay for new flooring, but the shelter will cover overdue replacement costs. As for the total cost of renovations and repairs, she said it is difficult to estimate because she is still “working with insurance companies,” but she believes most of the restoration work will be covered. ing.
In the meantime, all the animals were placed in foster homes, and many required medical treatment after the fire.
“Midwest Animal Hospital has been great for us and the animals,” Buckley said.
Buckley said the Orland Park business not only provides medical care for the animals, but also hosts “meet and greets.” That means an in-person session where adopters can spend time with their pet after their application is approved.
Linda Baio, a PAWS volunteer who maintains the shelter's adoption database on PetFinder, expressed her gratitude for Midwest Animal Hospital's assistance.
“I think the important thing was that no one was hurt, no animals were hurt, and that made it a lot easier to accept what happened,” Baio said. “There were a few animals that took a little longer to recover, but they're all better now. Midwest Animal Hospital is really great. They sent emergency doctors and staff to transport the animals to the hospital. They spent hours shampooing and bathing the animals.”
Mr Baio said eight of the 100 animals rescued since the fire have been adopted, and he hopes people will adopt more.
“Simply visit our website, check out our available cats and dogs, and fill out an online application. That's how you get started,” Baio said.
Mr Baio said volunteers were all working from home as they evacuated with the animals, meaning some tasks would take longer. She asked potential adopters to be patient during the process.
Buckley said many of the animals were rehomed with shelter volunteers like Bio.
“Most of the people who volunteer already have animals or are just adding foster parents to their families. But we don't just foster on weekends, we're looking at a one- to two-month fostering period.” Buckley said. “We have one volunteer who has adopted six cats. Another is fostering three 7-month-old collie mix puppies.”
Both Mr. Baio and Mr. Buckley said the care and support from the community and beyond was critical to helping PAWS Tinley Park overcome this difficult road.
“We received donations from about 30 states,” Buckley said. “Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation sent us $20,000. Someone came forward to pay the medical bills at Midwest (Animal Hospital). A sense of community solidarity, love and an outpouring of concern. It was overwhelming. It's just amazing. We're going to be OK. In fact, we're going to open in even better shape than we were before.”
Buckley said they are planning a grand reopening once the renovations are complete and the animals and staff are back at the facility, and everyone is welcome to come celebrate.
Angela Denk is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
