FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Earlier this year the deteriorated condition of the Fairview Park Police Department’s temporary animal kennel garnered social media scrutiny.

That’s when Fairview Park Police Clerk Diane Williams -- a former animal control officer who had to leave the position due to a cat allergy -- led an effort to renovate the shelter, which reopened this fall as a modern-looking facility.

“I’m an animal lover,” Williams said. “We wanted to create a nice place for the animals to stay compared to what it looked like before. I know how traumatic it is seeing animals in there. They don’t want to be in there as much as we don’t want to have them in there.

“Also, when you have a resident go down there to get their animal, you want them to walk into a nice place knowing that their animal was taken care of.”

The temporary animal shelter includes one large dog kennel area, as well as two small and two medium size cages.

Williams helped raise nearly $1,000 in donations, as well as coordinated numerous hours from seven volunteers. Once the service department replaced the floor drain, the project included the installation of ceramic tiles, windows and a kennel gate, as well as freshly painted walls, donated electrical work and a relocated air conditioner unit.

“With money that was leftover we bought leashes, bowls, dog beds and cat beds,” Williams said.

Fairview Park Police Chief Erich Upperman said the kennel, which was due for a renovation, was last updated nearly 20 years ago.

“Capital projects are prioritized due to budgetary constraints,” Upperman said. “Although the kennel renovation was on the list, other projects -- such as the police locker room project -- were deemed more urgent.”

The police chief also commended the efforts of Williams, the service department, community volunteers and donors.

“We now have a newer, better and more functionally-designed kennel to temporarily house stray and lost animals,” Upperman said. “Without this combined effort, it may have been several years before the kennel was renovated.

“Pet owners and animal lovers alike can feel comforted knowing that any animals temporarily housed in our facility will be in a clean, neat and more comfortable space while in our care.”

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