Bissell Pet Foundation to donate $250k for new Beauregard Parish animal control facility

Published 8:46 am Monday, February 14, 2022

A chance meeting with a global business owner last year led to what officials are calling a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the Beauregard Parish animal control kennel to receive a desperately needed renovation this year.

Sheriff Mark Herford confirmed to the American Press this week that Cathy Bissell, the co-owner of the Bissell floor cleaning product company, has donated $250,000 to the BPSO kennels to allow for expansion and improvements at the facility.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our animal control department, and it is all being made possible because of Deputy Krista West’s dedication and the support of Mrs. Bissell,” Herford stated.

West and Bissell’s meeting came out of chance last year in response to efforts that West began in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. As residents suffered from the extreme conditions during the weeks that followed the storm’s aftermath, so did the animals in West’s care at the kennel. The kennels offer little relief from the extreme temperatures and West worked tirelessly to network with rescue groups both near and far to find placements for the dogs.

The rescues took notice of West’s hard work and dedication to her animals, and eventually word reached Bissell of the efforts at a small kennel in Southwest Louisiana.

In June of 2021, to West’s surprise, Bissell herself made a visit to the Beauregard Parish facility along with her team at the Bissell Pet Foundation. Bissell viewed the kennels first-hand and then removed all 21 dogs in West’s care at the time so that she could assist her in finding them permanent homes or rescue placements.

“It was like an answer to prayers. I was so honored to have met Mrs. Cathy and her amazing crew, and could not have been more grateful that she took our dogs on to the next chapter of their lives,” West stated.

That meeting resonated with Bissell as well, and this year she approached Herford and West to make a most generous offer to update the kennels.

Herford said the donation will allow for the construction of a brand new facility that will be climate-controlled, and provide ample space for quarantining animals and allow for the dogs to receive medical care while at the facility.

Herford said he could not be happier to see the kennels receive the renovation they have needed for far too long.

“This is a testament to our animal control deputies, because they deserve the recognition for what they have been doing with what they have had for so long,” Herford stated.

The work is being completed through a partnership with the police jury, who owns adjacent property to the current kennels that will allow for the expansion. In the agreement with Bissell, the police jury and sheriff’s office will split the $5,000 costs of engineering prep work, land survey and soil sample testing.

“This will not cost the taxpayers anything, which makes this even better for our parish,” Herford stated.

“Our animal control deputies have worked for years doing the best they could with what they had. Because of budgets, we have been constrained to one animal control deputy and one animal control truck for the entire parish, and Deputy Krista West has accomplished some incredible things despite the lack of resources. She has worked hard and now because of her hard work and this amazing donation from Mrs. Bissell, Deputy West will be able to provide the best care to animals of any local animal control facility in our area.”

For his part, Herford has strived to provide as much assistance to West as possible. This past year he budgeted to allow for a second animal control officer, Deputy Caitlyn Reed, to assist West at the kennels.

The help will be welcomed by West, who has worked to reinforce a no-kill mentality at the shelter. In 2021, the animal control kennel saw 476 dogs brought in either as stray pick-ups or owner surrenders. Of those dogs, only 20 were humanely euthanized due to aggression that deemed the animal too dangerous for placement, or because of a medical condition.

West said she hopes the new facility may help along her plans to bring low cost spay and neuter programs to the shelter.

Herford said construction on the new facility is expected to begin by this summer.