Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control passes reinspection

CEDAR RAPIDS — A reinspection last week of the Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control shelter found that all issues identified by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as being non-compliant last month have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed.

The first inspection, conducted Aug. 19, found seven non-compliant issues, including inadequate ceiling maintenance; interior water pooling; high humidity and condensation in canine rooms; lack of ventilation in enclosures; multiple issues related to the appearance of mold; and out-of-date paperwork for the shelter’s foster program.

The report on the Sept. 4 reinspection states, “Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control continues to meet the daily needs of each of its inhabitants. Animals are provided with necessary requirements, but also given comfort, training, and exercise.”

As of last week, only two of those items were non-compliant: the mold and the out-of-date paperwork, and the city is working to fix them. A vendor has been hired to perform mold mitigation, and the city is installing better ceiling tiles and adjusting building temperatures to prevent additional problems with mold in the future. The updated foster program paperwork has been submitted to the state and still is under review.

“The health and safety of animals and staff remain our top priority. We will continue to act with urgency and transparency to ensure CRACC is safe, healthy, and compassionate,“ a Facebook post from the shelter about the reinspection states. ”An independent operational review is also underway, with recommendations expected by November, to guide immediate and long-term actions addressing staffing, facilities, and animal-care needs.“

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