GREENFIELD — Greenfield-Hancock County Animal Management has moved into its new home, a temporary space it will occupy while waiting for the construction of a new building.
The new location is 2195 W. U.S. 40, at the building formerly occupied by All Pet Health Care by Noah’s, a veterinary business that closed last year.
Animal Management’s previous facility, which occupied several trailers at 809 S. State St., will be demolished to accommodate the city’s new wastewater treatment plant.
While the department is adjusting to its new space, animal management director Amanda Dehoney said people who need to surrender an animal or who are hoping to adopt are still being asked to make an appointment.
To make an appointment, the department can be reached at 317-477-4367. Animal management will continue responding to emergency calls about animals.
Dehoney said the facility can house approximately 15 cats; the number of dogs it can house will vary depending on the size of the animal. The capacity is more limited than it was at the former facility, but the building came equipped with much of what the department needed to care for animals.
The planned new permanent space for animal management will be a 14,000-square-foot building with several features the previous location was missing. Those include a separate space where cats will be housed, a covered area where vehicles can pull in to avoid exposing animals to inclement weather, an adoption area where prospective owners can meet animals, a comfortable office, ample storage space and a reception area.
Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell said the city will soon begin seeking bids for contractors to work on the new building. He expects animal management to be located at the temporary building for approximately a year before it can move into its new home. The city signed a contract leasing the building for up to 15 months.
Fewell said he is excited about the new future building and the additional level of service it will be able to provide for animals and for citizens. He said one of his goals when he became mayor was to upgrade the department’s facilities.
“If we’re going to be in that business, we need to do it right,” Fewell said.
The process of building the new wastewater treatment plant is also expected to start soon, with bids for the project expected to go out in March or April.
The new plant will cost an estimated $39 million and will give the city’s wastewater utility the ability to stay in compliance with requirements of the Indiana Department of Environment Management. To pay for it, the city increased utility rates in July 2020, with two more increases coming in March 2021 and January 2022.