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The Palm Valley Animal Society is looking for temporary homes for their animals as they prepare to close its Trenton location in Edinburg for two weeks to address black mold.
The mold, which releases spores that may cause upper respiratory issues for both humans and animals, prompted the shelter to halt operations beginning Monday.
“Their immune system is definitely already lower and they’re stressed out so they can’t fight off illnesses as well as animals that aren’t in the shelter,” said Faith Wright, director of operations at Palm Valley.
It was discovered earlier this week after finding a leak in the ceiling. Air condition repair workers found it and, according to Wright, the “black mold that had been there for years had gone undetected because no one had gone up to that area (ceiling).”
Wright also explained that the mold covers 25 linear feet and will take three to five days to remove. The shelter will open again in two weeks after getting an air quality test by the state, she said.
Now as the shelter prepares to close, they look to the community for help in providing a temporary home for the animals at the shelter, which is currently caring for around 150 animals.
“We don’t have room for all of them anywhere quite honestly. We have five empty kennels, that’s it,” Wright said, adding that the shelters are always filled to capacity and would not be able to fit more animals. “We will send animal food home, cat or dog. We can provide kitty litter, litter boxes, crates, and basically, we can provide any supplies that you might need to help us help the animals get out of the shelter.”
During this time all the animals will be moved to the back portion of the shelter where there is no mold. Those who want to adopt or foster can enter through the back, and all adoption fees at the shelter, located at 2501 W. Trenton Road in Edinburg, will be waived this week.
Although regular operations will be stopped, the shelter will still conduct intake for “emergency animals,” such as those with severe injuries or that may be aggressive.
For more information, call the shelter at (956) 686-1141 or visit its social media pages, like Facebook.
