The location is not public to protect pets and their owners, but will include 10 new indoor/outdoor kennels for dogs and a 40,000-square-foot-outdoor space for active pups, as well as a separate facility for cats with homelike rooms to “promote normalcy and peace.” Pets will have access to vet services, grooming, enrichment, and training during their stay, Gullö said. She hopes to open the refuge by the end of the year or early next.
She emphasized that it’s not meant to be a permanent solution: The ultimate goal is reunification once the family is safe.
“We want to make sure it’s as much of a home environment as we can create,” Gullö said. “We ultimately want to keep pets with their families but provide a safe, warm experience for animals while they’re in our care until the family is safe and back on their feet.”