EVERETT — The city’s animal shelter is reducing its public hours. Every Tuesday, the shelter will open at 2 p.m. instead of 11 a.m.
The change will allow staff more time for behind-the-scenes work before attending to visitors, shelter manager Glynis Frederiksen said.
“We were finding it was very much a challenge to get staff together for meetings or additional training and to complete some of our administrative paperwork as some care for taking care of the animals,” she said. “Once we open, staff need to be available for the public.”
Adding another employee isn’t an option, Frederiksen said.
The shelter has a staff of 14.
Leadership considered closing the shelter for an entire day once a week. It’s a common practice for shelters in order to catch up on administrative duties, Frederiksen said.
“We really felt it was best if we could remain open seven days a week,” she said.
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The new Tuesday hours begin May 7. The shelter will still close at 5 p.m. All other days of the week, the shelter’s hours will remain 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Tuesdays, staff will still be available by phone beginning at 9 a.m.
Frederiksen said Tuesday mornings tend to have the fewest customers, so staff expect minimal impact on the public.
The animal control response team will not be affected by the change, according to a shelter news release.
Julia-Grace Sanders: 425-339-3439; jgsanders@heraldnet.com.
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