Pierce County animal shelter with 64 pets closes indefinitely for emergency maintenance
Metro Animal Services staff abruptly closed their facility last week after they found possible mold under the floor of the office.
They found the “organic growth” on Dec. 11 and immediately moved staff and pets out of the building, according to a news release the agency sent Tuesday.
“Although kennels do not seem to be affected, all 64 animals in Metro’s care were moved to foster families, partners and other shelters within 72 hours,” the release said. “Metro appreciates that all facilities are very busy and are grateful for so many partner organizations responding quickly to help support the animals.”
Facilities as far as Spokane helped take the animals, city of Sumner spokesperson Carmen Palmer told The News Tribune.
Sumner employees run Metro Animal Services, and the city of Puyallup provides the building at 1200 39th Ave. SE. They also contract to serve Algona, Bonney Lake, Edgewood, Milton and Pacific.
“City of Puyallup is scheduling industrial hygienists to evaluate the facility and determine what is needed so that the building can be safely reoccupied,” the release said.
Palmer told The News Tribune in an email Tuesday, “There’s no specific timeline yet, but we appreciate that Puyallup is working diligently to connect with contractors, even with the holidays.”
She said Puyallup initially would cover the cost of repairs and that those expenses “would then be shared through our interlocal agreements with all the cities served by Metro.”
In the meantime, the agency continues responding to calls about animals that need help.
“If someone has a stray animal in their care, please post the animal to social media and tag Metro Animal Services,” the release said. “If you see a license on the pet, please call Metro staff at 253-299-PETS.”
However, no one is allowed to visit the shelter, and adoptions and surrenders of pets are on hold.
“If people see a stray running free, the best option is to leave them alone as they are most likely to find their home faster than strangers trying to capture them,” the release said. “Anyone in Metro’s cities who have a lost pet can still call Metro staff as officers are still on patrol.”
Those looking to donate food and other gifts to Metro should consider helping other local shelters for the time being, the agency said.
Palmer said Metro Animal Services has a budget of about $1.2 million a year. It adopted out 403 animals in 2023, returned 187 lost pets and responded to about 1,500 calls.
