Life is no bed of roses for the dogs at the Great Falls Animal Shelter

So volunteer Jack Logozzo launched a one-man campaign to raise $2,030 for the purchase of 40 hard-to-chew, longer lasting beds which were donated within two weeks!!

Volunteer launches drive for dog beds in shelter

GreatFallsTribune.com

March 23, 2009

Life is no bed of roses for dogs at the Great Falls Animal Shelter.

"A lot of the animals have no bed at all," Jack Logozzo said.

Logozzo and his wife regularly volunteer to walk dogs at the shelter.

He said he feels for the unfortunate creatures.

The dogs lack a permanent home, the facilities are old and they face a death sentence if no one decides to adopt them.

Logozzo figures that for what might be a dog's "last night on Earth," the animal should at least have a decent bed to sleep on.

Police Chief Corky Grove told Logozzo the city budget did not allow for the purchase of dog beds. However, a private fundraising effort could fill the gap.

So Logozzo has launched a one-man campaign to raise $2,030 for the purchase of 40 hard-to-chew, longer lasting beds.

"They're like a cot," he said.

The beds won't be as fluffy and comfy as dog beds at home, but they will be much better than the small number of older beds at the shelter, or a sheet laid on a concrete floor.

"The homeless dogs deserve better," Logozzo said.

He has set up a post office box where people can send donations: Dog Beds, P.O. Box 7455, Great Falls, MT 59406. He said checks should be written to the city of Great Falls for any amount, and they may be tax-deductible. Write "dog beds" in the comment line of the check.

If Logozzo succeeds, that would be fine with the city, said Jamie Bennett, who manages the shelter.

"We would love it," she said.

Bennett said people also can donate a bed to the shelter directly through the manufacturer's Web site, www.kuranda.com.

"I'm cool either way," she said.

Logozzo said he loves going to the shelter to walk dogs, giving them precious minutes of exercise out in the sun and fresh air.

"I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of helping those animals," he said.

Logozzo added he heard about a woman in Whitefish who sent out a plea through a newspaper for dog beds for a Flathead Valley shelter. Donations quickly gave the shelter the beds it needed, he said.

Logozzo said he won't personally benefit from the purchase of the dog beds, other than to earn a great sense of satisfaction.

Incidentally, Great Falls is on the verge on a new day for care of homeless animals, and people who donated to Great Falls Animal Foundation events and fund drives should pat themselves on the back.

The foundation has collected $1.4 million toward construction of a new shelter that will provide more room for animals and a sophisticated ventilation system to reduce the spread of disease. The city of Great Falls may provide a loan for the balance of the project's cost.

Construction of the new $3 million animal shelter may begin later this year. The earliest it would open would be sometime next year.

That will be a great day for the community.

Giving people a hand

One Tribune reader was concerned last week about a news story describing new pedestrian signals being installed along 9th Street in Great Falls this spring.

That's because her youngest son and other relatives are colorblind, and she is concerned colorblind people might not be able to differentiate between the green and orange colors on the pedestrian signals that direct walkers as to whether it is safe to cross.

Mick Johnson, district transportation administrator, clarified things Friday. He said the green or white signal telling pedestrians to walk shows an outline of a human figure, while the signal warning people to stop is an orange hand.

Pedestrian signals used to say "Walk" and "Don't Walk" on them, but they have changed over the years to make them easier to understand.

The figure of the man and the hand are the most popular signals used in the Electric City these days.

Johnson said there is one different kind of pedestrian signal at the intersection of Central Avenue and Park Drive. He said signals at that intersection count down the amount of time a person has left to cross the street.

There is a chance the countdown-style pedestrian signals might be used more often in Great Falls in the future, especially when pedestrians must take a long hike to cross a broad street, Johnson said.

The Great Falls man hopes area residents will prove to be just as generous.

Logozzo said he won't personally benefit from the purchase of the dog beds, other than to earn a great sense of satisfaction.

Incidentally, Great Falls is on the verge on a new day for care of homeless animals, and people who donated to Great Falls Animal Foundation events and fund drives should pat themselves on the back.

The foundation has collected $1.4 million toward construction of a new shelter that will provide more room for animals and a sophisticated ventilation system to reduce the spread of disease. The city of Great Falls may provide a loan for the balance of the project's cost.

Construction of the new $3 million animal shelter may begin later this year. The earliest it would open would be sometime next year.

That will be a great day for the community.