By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
A long-desired upgrade at the Humane Society of the High Plains was recently completed, giving dogs a more comfortable experience during their time at the shelter.
"The grass has been a problem back there since this place was built," said manager Betty Hansen.
After saving for years, Hansen said the Humane Society recently pulled the trigger and completed upgrades in the yard.
"We spent almost two weeks redoing our backyard," said manager Betty Hansen.
The biggest part of the work was replacing the grass to an artificial grass called Canine Grass.
"It's been awhile in the making to get this done so we are pretty excited about it, and the dogs seem to love it," Hansen said.
With the number of dogs that are in the yard, she said keeping grass growing was a challenge. Many options had been looked at to give the dogs a nice surface.
"One of the biggest things that we have had over the last couple of winters is trying to keep grass out there with all of the dogs digging all of the time," Hansen said.
The lack of grass often caused a mess both outside and in.
"We were having a lot of mud that the dogs were dragging into the building, and people couldn't go out because it was so muddy," Hansen said.
With the new covering, she said, "We have alleviated all of those problems."
And the new material will help keep the dogs happier and more exercised.
"This will really help to be able to give them more outside time," Hansen said, "which the dogs really need."
Having those exercise periods is important to allow them to relax before being put inside cages overnight.
"They are in their cage a lot of hours of the day so we want to make sure that they get exercised and they get a chance to exercise on a regular daily basis," Hansen said.
The dogs have taken well to the new surface she said.
"They are very comfortable on it," she said. "It's very soft, probably a lot softer than the grass."
The surface is also durable coming with a 10-year guarantee and easy to clean with a built-in drainage system.
"It's pretty much maintenance-free. It's easy to clean up," Hansen said. "It's very clean, and we use hoses to wash it."
The backyard also received a new shade area, two small pools and a dog playground.
"With as hot as it as been with the big shaded area, they can stay out there a little bit longer," Hansen said. "We have noticed many of the dogs will run around and lay down in the shade."
The renovated space also will allow people to interact with the dogs in a more comfortable space.
"When people bring their dog out to do a meet and greet with a dog that they are thinking about adopting, it's really nice for that too," Hansen said.
Overall Hansen said they are happy with the new yard.
"It was pricey, but I think it is going to be well worth it in all the years to come," Hansen said.
