Animal pound makes progress; Ashburnham upgrade is ongoing.

Byline: Gail Stanton 

ASHBURNHAM - A visit to the town animal pound quickly dispels the idea of puppies playfully bounding about in a home-like environment.

Surrounded by mud and half-covered by torn tarps, the building looks like a strong wind could blow it down. On the inside

there is a bare cement slab floor, walls and ceiling made of pressed particle board and cages constructed of what appears to be 2-by-4's and chicken wire.

But interim Animal Control Officer Anne Eddy says the building is in the best condition it has been in months.

"You should have seen it before I got it cleaned up," she said.

Ms. Eddy took over the pound in January after Animal Control Officer Margaret Bennett became ill. As the full-time animal control officer for Winchendon, Ms. Eddy has been dividing her time between the two towns.

On her first visit to the pound, she said, that she found that raccoons had broken into the building and that the interior was covered in raccoon feces. "Raccoons have roundworm in their poop," she said. "And it can be deadly to other animals, so it had to be removed a certain way."

It took several calls to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., to find out the safest way to clean up the mess.

Now that she has everything cleaned up and sterilized, Ms. Eddy is hoping to find volunteers to help her get the place in working order. Not only does she need people, she also needs money and supplies.

"The most important thing for this place right now is to get the right doggy doors," she said.

At $90 apiece, she is hoping that people in the community will donate the money for the six doors that are needed. A local contractor has volunteered to install them.

Once the doors are in place, the tarps can be removed from the side of the building and the animals can have access to fresh air and sunlight. Right now the rubber flaps being used as doggy doors let in the cold.

In an effort to block the cold, crate bottoms have been placed against the flaps.

The new doors will do more than provide access for the dogs to the runs, the style that has been selected are guaranteed not to be chewable and will save money on heating costs for the building.

The pound also has a wish list of supplies, including everyday cleaning supplies, a telephone with an answering machine, clean blankets and both canned and dry dog food.

They also need fencing to enclose the building and outdoor area.

Ahimsa Haven, a local animal rescue shelter, has supplied the pound with the fencing needed to repair the runs that the doggy doors connect to, but Ms. Eddy needs help installing them.

Although she has been placed in the position temporarily, Ms. Eddy says that she wants to get the work completed by July 1. Now that it is already April, she says that she is running out of time because warm weather traditionally brings an increase in the amount of activity a pound sees.

The pound can be used to house animals, but as of last week none were there.

Public support for the project is needed due to town budgetary constraints.

"Both the state and the country are in budget crisis," said Police Chief Loring Barrett.

He went on to explain that the town is trying to be creative in finding ways to get the project done without going to the taxpayers for additional funds.

"With animals people are usually willing to help out. But if this doesn't work, we'll look at other options," he said.

Ms. Eddy says she has definite plans to make it user friendly. Outside the building, stands an old fire hydrant that she plans to paint red and place in the yard. She expects it to be a point of interest for the dogs at the pound.

All jokes aside, the space around the building is littered with everything from old muddy blankets to leftover building supplies and trash.

Anyone interested in donating supplies or volunteering at the pound is asked to call Ms. Eddy at [phone].

"We need all the help we can get," she said.

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) The Ashburnham town pound is greatly in need of repair. (2) A view of makeshift cages which line the interior of the Ashburnham animal pound.

PHOTOG: GAIL STANTON