Bloomfield Township’s animal shelter secures grant to update HVAC system

Bloomfield Township Community Relations Officer Nick Soley poses for a photo with his dog, Charlie, who he adopted from the Bloomfield Township Animal Shelter.

Photo provided

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Bloomfield Township Animal Shelter is getting a much needed update to its aging ventilation system this year thanks to a recent grant.

Nick Soley, the community relations officer for the Bloomfield Township Police Department, said he was contacted by a nonprofit foundation in mid 2021 inviting the department to apply for a grant for any improvements needed at the Bloomfield Township Animal Shelter. 

The heating, ventilating and air conditioning system was at the top of the priority list, according to Soley, who said the system has not  been  updated  since the opening of the building in the early 1980s and is well past its service life. 

“I believe our HVAC system over there is close to the original, if not the original of that building, so it’s definitely needed,” he said.

The Police Department reached out to Tech Mechanical — which has worked on several projects for Bloomfield Township — to provide a quote for the work, which came back at $36,702.   

The nonprofit — which Soley said wishes to remain anonymous as part of the terms of the grant — accepted the department’s request for a $36,702 grant to remove the existing HVAC system and replace it with a new one.

 “This nonprofit is a 501(c)3, and their main focus is on improving the environment and the well-being of animals that we take in,” Soley added.

 The work, which is expected to begin in the spring or early summer, must be complete by Aug. 1.

The project will remove and replace all the existing HVAC equipment. 

“They will install one new furnace, a new air conditioning unit, an additional heating unit for our kennel area, all new duct work and new thermostats for our shelter,” Soley explained.

 The project, Solely said, will ensure the shelter has the proper equipment to provide a comfortable and healthy environment for the animals the department takes in.   

“We do take in a lot of lost animals, and we want to make sure that, not only our staff, but these animals, are comfortable. There is an importance to make sure that, in these frigid months, our heating system works for not only the entire shelter, but for the kennel area, where we keep our dogs,” Solely noted. “Whether they are here for a week or overnight, we want to give them the most comfortable and best conditions we can. That’s huge to us, and we pride ourselves on our animal shelter.” 

Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees member Valerie Murray said she thinks it’s “awesome” that an organization reached out to help the shelter. 

“I’m a rescue person myself, and having a good facility with the proper HVAC is very important. I’m thrilled that we have this opportunity,” she said.

The Bloomfield Township Animal Shelter, a branch of the Police Department, provides temporary housing for lost and stray animals. The center, at 4200 Telegraph Road, is staffed 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays. Staff also care for the animals overnight and on the weekends, when the building is closed to the public.

In 2021, the Police Department brought in 123 animals with 74 total adoptions — everything from dogs and cats to rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and more. 

“One of my dogs at home, little Charlie, is an adopted dog from the animal shelter,” said Soley.

The shelter, through contract, also supports lost and stray animals from the city of Birmingham. 

For more information, to donate or to get more information about adopting an animal, call the shelter at (248) 433-7757.