SKC volunteers work around valley
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POLSON — The animals at the Mission Valley Animal Shelter got a special treat on Friday — more people who came to play. Puppies were getting snuggled and held, kittens and cats were batting at fingers poked in cages.
Faculty and staff, both full time and part time, from Salish Kootenai College were working at the animal shelter on their annual community service day. SKC schedules a community service day into its yearly schedule, and both faculty and students work at various sites around the valley, “Arlee to Elmo or anyplace in between.” Some local sites with volunteer crews were Ronan cemetery, the Boys and Girls Club, the old Arlee cemetery and river cleanup.
Effie Clairmont, the site coordinator for the Mission Valley Animal Shelter, said 23 faculty and staff signed up for the shelter but a couple of extra bodies showed up. The shelter staff lined up whatever they needed done for their volunteer crew.
The workers disassembled some large wooden spools used as tables, loaded them up and hauled them to the dump. A group of workers stretched tarps over some outside kennels. The Mission Valley Animal Shelter will be building a new facility, and dogs will be kenneled outside. The tarps will provide shade from the sun and protection from wind, rain and hail.
It wasn’t all work for the SKC troops, either. They were encouraged to take a break and play with puppies, take a dog for a walk or hang out with a cat.
