FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control is planning to remodel the medical and triage area of its shelter.

The shelter was built 20 years ago and hasn’t been remodeled or updated within that time. Director Amy-Jo Sites says it’s starting to show.

The remodel calls for the installation of another surgical table. Currently, there is only one, one prep table and no designated area to do medical exams or necropsies (animal autopsies) for cruelty and neglect cases.

The plan also calls for a private space to perform forensic exams and necropsies, as cruelty and neglect cases are a vital service Animal Care & Control provides. These exams, in part, help track down animal abusers.

“We don’t have an appropriate space to determine what happened to an animal and without being able to identify what happened to an animal, we can’t take those abusers to court and that circle of violence continues,” said Sites.

Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control is hoping to raise $298,000 for the remodel, and the organization is hoping to fund half of that through donations. You can donate now by visiting their website and clicking “Paws for Progress.”

The project plans will be introduced at the Fort Wayne Common Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, and will likely be discussed on Tuesday, Oct. 16.