BOGALUSA, La. -- Every day, an inmate makes it his mission to see that every dog in the Bogalusa Animal Control building has fresh water, a full food bowl, a clean pen, and sometimes even a bath.
But that's the extent the inmate, and Animal Control Officer David Kellis, have the money or the means to provide the dogs brought in off the city's streets.
"It's actually a pound, which means short-term, but since our new mayor wants to keep it a no-kill pound, the dogs stay a lot longer," said Kellis.
The small cinder block building encompasses 14 pens that are made comfortable with donated fans, blankets and heaters, depending on the season. But when a dog comes in with an illness or an injury, Kellis says he has few options other than euthanasia because there's no budget for a veterinarian.
"It's better off than what they did have," he said, "It possibly could be better, but the city is limited on what they can spend."
While the city has that new directive for its animal control operations, it hasn't been able to dedicate any new dollars to making it happen. That's where the Washington Parish-based Magnolia Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana has stepped in and made a significant difference. That's mainly been in finding foster homes for dogs on a weekly basis and providing vet care for those fosters, resulting in animal control's annual kill rate dropping from almost 400 a year to just four in 2016.
"Everybody can do something," said Kay Grantham with the Magnolia Chapter, "If you can't foster, you can donate. If you can't donate, you can volunteer. If you can't volunteer, you can share the posts on Facebook.
And both the organization, and Kellis, are hoping more of the community gets behind moving the facility forward.
For now, the best way to help is to reach out to the Magnolia Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana. They take donations on their website, http://magnoliahumane.rescuegroups.org/, and they advertise foster animals on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Magnolia-Chapter-of-the-Humane-Society-of-Louisiana-738858109472910/?fref=ts.
They also run the Magnolia Thrift Store on Hwy 59 in Mandeville where all sale proceeds go toward covering vet care for animals in their foster system. They also accept newspaper for foster homes, loose change and collect aluminum cans at the Thrift Store, which they can turn in for cash to go toward their program.