Apatang still waiting for design for animal shelter

The Saipan Mayor’s Office is still waiting for the design of its new animal shelter to be approved. This time, the shelter will be in As Perdido.

The old shelter in Lower Base became unsafe and was eventually condemned by the Department of Public Works after Typhoon Soudelor’s harrowing winds blew its roof away.

“The animal shelter, they’re finalizing the design and once it’s final we have to send the design to [the Federal Emergency Management Agency]. Once FEMA approves that, it will be put out for bid,” said Apatang last Wednesday.

The mayor said that DPW is finishing up the shelter’s electrical design.

The shelter itself will be built at a cost of nearly $400,000.

“It’s going to be a big one. It’s going to accommodate a lot of dogs. We’re looking forward to that,” said Apatang.

In an earlier interview with Saipan Tribune, the mayor said they have no choice but to relocate to As Perdido as their old Lower Base site has been designated a flood zone.

“Because it’s a flood zone area FEMA requires us to rebuild it 6 feet higher but we just don’t have the money for that. So we’re asking FEMA to reconsider the money that they gave us and, instead of repairing it, we would reconstruct a new building,” he said.

Apatang thanked the Department of Lands and Natural Resources for allowing them to use their facility in As Perdido to temporarily house their animal control program.

“We’re moving to As Perdido. We’re sharing half and half with [Division of] Quarantine. The secretary of DLNR was good enough to let us share part of it. It’s very limited but at least we’re still picking up stray animals that roam around the villages and those that are very vicious,” he said.

Apatang said once the design is finally done and the bidding process doesn’t encounter any problems, the mayor’s office would hopefully inaugurate the new animal shelter before the end of the year. He admits the opening couldn’t come any sooner.

“We have a lot of complains at the Garapan business area of stray dogs running around. Business owners in turn let their dogs out to chase the stray dogs away,” he said.

Apatang said his office will also again conduct a spay and neuter campaign in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States.

He said he fully supports Rep. Edwin Propst’s (Ind-Saipan) Animal Protection Act of 2015 that makes it illegal to abuse animals in the CNMI. Currently, the Commonwealth is the only U.S. jurisdiction with no animal protection laws.

“I strongly support anything that prevents inhumane treatment of animals, especially dogs,” he said adding that Propst’s bill was written with input from the Humane Society.

“If they don’t want their dogs, call us and we’ll pick them up. Don’t abuse them. We’ll take care of them,” he added.