The view from the Idea Center

Strange sounds. Unfamiliar smells. Close confines. And a litter box right next to the food bowl! No wonder the sweet-faced  tortoiseshell kitten I recently spotted at a Parma pet store was purring loudly and drooling.  She was stressed.

It’s this kind of anxiety and fear that the Cleveland Animal Protective League (APL) is seeking to reduce at its adoption and medical center in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.

The APL broke ground yesterday on a $13.5 million expansion that will include what it calls  “fear free” design elements, like separate exam rooms for dogs and cats and cages that will accommodate cats’ preference to eat and eliminate in separate areas.

But the effort isn’t just centered on creating a better experience for animals. Humans are part of the APL’s focus, too.

Plans include a new intake lobby and “counseling nooks” where staff can talk with people about adoption and surrender decisions. The APL also wants to create a low-cost clinic for low-income pet owners, so they can  keep their pets rather than put them up for adoption if they  can’t afford their care.

The APL has raised most of the money for this noble initiative through its first-ever capital campaign. It’s got about $3.2 million to go.

I’m still thinking about that cute kitty at the pet store in Parma. I hope she found a home.

See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

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Your ideas

The Cleveland Animal Protective League is expanding its facility and plans to provide services for low-income pet owners. Have you ever adopted an animal? Have you ever needed help taking care of a pet? Tell us your animal rescue stories (and send pictures)! Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.