Altus Air Force Base Community Outreach-Animal Aid Society

  • Published
  • By SrA Marianne Lane
  • 97 AMW/PA
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla.-- --  Members of Medical Logistics Flight organized the renovations to the Animal Aid Society cat room on 27-28 February 2010.

Jeffery Beglin was in charge of the project and received assistance from Lori Jansen and First Lieutenant Aimee Safford, along with his two teenage children Brandon and Jenna.

The Animal Aid Society, located at 2200 Enterprise Drive, is currently housing twenty cats in need of a good home. According to Beglin, the whole facility is in very poor condition.
"My kids and I initially went to the Animal Aid Society to volunteer with the animals. When I saw the terrible condition of the cat room I knew that it would be a great opportunity to help the animals and the community. I also knew that I could count on the help of Lori and Aimee since we all own cats. The project took off from there and we were able to make some really good changes to the room. We've kind of adopted the room and plan to make additional improvements in the future" said Beglin.

These individuals spent eight hours of their personal time scouring animal feces and filth off the kennels, walls, ceiling, floor, and windows. When everything was cleaned and sanitized, they repainted the walls and molding in vibrant colors. They revitalized the air conditioning system, replaced the rickety old shelving, storage bins, furniture, cat toys, and applied new window treatments. All the supplies came out of their own personal budgets. All new improvements so far have been applied to the cat room, but the rest of the shelter is in need of repair and remodeling, as well.

"It sure was an eye opening experience working on this project. Being able to give the cat room a face lift was very rewarding. It brightened it up and hopefully will draw people into the room and see all the wonderful cats and kittens up for adoption," Said Jansen. "The people who volunteer at the animal shelter have such a love for the animals. They are constantly busy cleaning cages and food bowls, feeding the animals, and walking the dogs. It was great seeing teenage volunteers taking time on their Saturday walking and playing with the dogs. With that being said, the animal shelter can always use volunteers. It is a great opportunity for those who can't have animals due to rental restrictions, living in the dorms, or allergies in the family to come out and play with the cats and dogs. Having the animals socialized is a great benefit in getting them adopted."
The Animal Aid Society also accepts and is need of donations. For more information on how you can take part in future projects at Animal Aid Society contact Jeffery Beglin at 481-6109.