New shelter for cats & dogs in Changsha

In June 2008, Changsha Small Animal Protection Society (CSAPS) was informed that they would need to relocate their shelter in 2009, as houses were going to be constructed on shelter land. However, a couple of weeks later, they were told to leave immediately. In China this can be done as tenants have few rights.

They found a new location, a disused old people’s home. As the new property had been abandoned for a long time, the group needed funds and resources for repairs and renovation, and also to adapt the area to make it appropriate for a shelter. They needed a lot of money for a complete upgrade, such as a new roof, an exercise area, veterinary equipment, etc. But due to limited resources they could only do very basic work.

ACTAsia immediately transferred funds to CSAPS, to assist with urgent building work to ensure that the shelter would have water and electricity. Also, some basic work on necessities could be done with these funds, such as building a septic tank and putting up fences before animals are transferred to the new shelter. The methane from the septic tank wll be collected and used as fuel for cooking and heating in the shelter.

CSAPS also urgently needed advice on how the area can be used and modified to make it as welfare-friendly as possible. ACTAsia has brought in a consultant who has a lot of experience on shelter management and has helped many shelters in other countries. He has provided comments and suggestions on the layout.

By supporting this project we hope that the new CSAPS shelter can become a model for others in China. This model would demonstrate the importance of taking animal needs and welfare into account when designing a shelter, and also show that a shelter can achieve high welfare standards without advanced facilities.