"It's just the right thing to do" in Evansville, IN

Upgrading the doghouse Donation buys bedding for animal shelter inhabitants By Gavin Lesnick (Contact) Thursday, February 21, 2008 See the videos/ More than 20 new chewproof beds were provided by a $1,000 donation from dog trainer and Evansville Animal Control and Education Commission President Marlin Beck. More beds are hoped to be added as more donations come in. Before this week, dogs at Evansville's Animal Control shelter slept on a concrete floor.But thanks to a $1,000 donation from Marlin Beck, dog trainer and Evansville Animal Control and Education Commission president, more than 20 pens are outfitted with new, chewproof, polyresin dog beds. Beck said it's an important step for improving the dogs' comfort level during a stressful time, which in turn will improve their interaction with staff and people interested in adopting them. "(The dog is) going to be more relaxed," he said. "And if it's more relaxed, it's going to help with its behavior, especially when it becomes an adopted animal. It's just the right thing to do." Already on Tuesday, shortly after the last of the 22 ordered beds was constructed and placed in a pen, many of the dogs housed at the shelter were putting them to use — sleeping curled up or sprawled out on the new additions. Monica Freeman, superintendent of Animal Control, had added the beds to a wish list the facility maintains of new equipment. "We wanted to provide a better environment for the dogs that we have under our care," she said. Beck heard about them at a commission meeting last month and said he knew immediately it was a worthwhile investment. He talked it over with his wife and together, they agreed to donate $1,000 to get the project up and running.