Volunteers assemble bed for dogs at animal shelter

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Animal Services was busier than normal as closing hour came and went Thursday night. Volunteers armed with electric screwdrivers and plastic tubing were constructing tiny beds for every dog in the shelter.

Donations originally trickled in for the beds from Internet donors — enough to pay for 20 or so for the dogs. But with one grant from the American Humane Society, the shelter has been able to provide beds for all 82 kennels in the building, and on Thursday night they finished assembling them.

"A shelter environment, no matter what you do, is going to be stressful for a dog that's been in a family home," said Shawni Larabee, the shelter director. "Anything that we can offer that's a little more comfortable, maybe a little more associated with something they know, something they would have had at home, takes a little bit of stress off."

Dogs that spend too much time on hard concrete can develop joint and pressure sores, but a simple bed can drastically reduce these issues. Arthritic and older dogs also have an easier time not constantly lying on a hard surface.

The beds costs $50 each. Blue material was stretched across the plastic tubing propped up by sturdy plastic legs. Each bed is easy to clean and easy to repair, said April Harris, the shelter operations manager.

Thursday's handful of volunteers included an eclectic mix of people who'd been involved somehow with the shelter and its programs.

"We care about the animals' welfare while they're here in the shelter," Harris said. "We want them to be as comfortable as possible and as happy as possible while they're here."

e-mail: gbarker@desnews.com