By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 13, 1999

LAPLACE – The St. John Animal Shelter is cramped, overcrowded and indesperate need of more space. However, at last Tuesday’s meeting of theSt. John Parish Council, members turned deaf ears upon a plea from boardmember Kay Durr for help.

At the Feb. 9 council meeting, councilmen refused to accept a donation ofa 14-by-40-foot trailer from Farol Clement of Shell/Motiva in Norco because the donation was explicitly meant for the animal shelter.

Durr came to last week’s meeting to ask the council to reconsider, but no council member made the necessary motion.

“The public doesn’t really know what’s going on,” Durr commented Thursday.

The problem of the cramped shelter, located at 124 Water Plant Road off West Second Street, LaPlace, is compounded by complaints from neighbors about the odor of the shelter, Durr said.

Added to that, the parish has an 8-acre site near the St. John Airportwhere a new shelter is to be built. However, Parish President Arnold Labatsaid, there’s no money to build it.

“The plans are to eventually move it to the larger site,” Labat said. “I’mputting together all the plans for moving the shelter to the 8-acre site and I’ll present it to the council.”Labat said a “guesstimation” of the construction cost would be $150,000 – money the parish doesn’t have at hand for this purpose.

Parish Councilman Clinton “Rock” Perrilloux said St. James Parish mayjoin forces (and finances) with St. John Parish toward the shelter’sconstruction and operation and maybe could qualify for grant funding as well.

“I’m kind of anxious to get that over with,” Perrilloux said.

Meanwhile, Durr pointed out, the parish continues to grow, adding as well to the pet population.

“We could be a lot more effective,” Durr said, once the shelter is relocated and expanded in its new location.

The present shelter dates back 25 years and shows its age. It includes acement-block, covered kennel and a 14-by-70-foot trailer for cats and office space. The program presents handles 2,000 animals per year with a$90,000 annual budget.

And further adding to the shelter’s problems, the parish council is working with the sheriff’s office for the hiring of a second animal control officer, to work with Heidi Hogan, to pick up even more stray animals, adding to the burden of the overcrowded conditions.

“As fast as the parish is growing, we need to do something now!” Durr insisted.

At animal control, the volunteers see the hoped-for move to Airline Highway as badly overdue. “Maybe the people will see us on AirlineHighway and stop and adopt,” Durr commented. “This parish has got tocome up to standards.”Durr concluded with a plea for citizens to phone their council representatives and urge swift action on accepting the trailer donation for temporary relief, and construction of the new shelter in Reserve for a more permanent solution.

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