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The Sandy City Animal Shelter has completed the transition to a "no-kill" facility through the efforts of staff members and volunteers, as well as an assist from local rescue groups and community members, officials announced Wednesday.
And with a minimum 90 percent save rate considered the no-kill standard, the shelter exceeded its goal last year.
In 2016, the facility had save rates of 96 percent for cats and 99 percent for dogs, according to Ian Williams, director of the Animal Services Department, which is a division of the Sandy Police Department. Last year, 311 dogs and 408 cats came into the shelter.
The transition included the removal of a carbon monoxide chamber and a remodel that added two new cat enrichment rooms and an updated dog kennel area to the shelter, the police department said in a news release.
The no-kill goal was achieved by implementing a community trap-neuter-return program for felines, working with animal rescue groups and increasing adoption efforts, Williams said.
The shelter received input and donations from the community, the news release said. Best Friends Animal Society, Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS) and other organizations are helping find forever homes for adoptable cats and dogs.
Also assisting is the non-profit Shelter Art Foundation, which donated photography equipment to the shelter and held free training Wednesday for staff members and volunteers on how to take pictures of the animals that will increase their chance of adoption.
The photos, which are put on social media, give the adoption effort a big boast, Williams said.
"We can share the availability of those animals to a wider audience," he said.
The Shelter Art Foundation is sponsored by Purina and its pet search engine, Petfinder.com. Steve Sloop, who founded the nonprofit, said online pictures are the best way to show off animals.
"We want to empower shelter staff and volunteers to make amazing photos that reveal the inner star in all of the animals in their care," Sloop said.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC —
Want to adopt a pet?
P If you want to give an animal a forever home, stop by the Sandy City Animal Shelter, 8715 S. 700 West. The shelter's hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
For more information or to volunteer at the shelter, call Animal Services at 801-352-4450. To learn more about the Shelter Art Foundation, visit http://www.ShelterArtFoundation.org or contact the organization at photos@shelterartfoundation.org.