LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Henderson animal shelter is getting its first major upgrades in three decades as the city’s population has grown by about six times.
The upgrades include a donated quarter-million-dollar solar panel system and replacement of 100 dog kennels. The shelter has remained largely unchanged even as Henderson’s population has boomed.
Since the pandemic, when the shelter nearly emptied out, the flow of animals has not slowed.
“On an average day… we can have anywhere from 30 to 45 dogs and 20 to 40 cats,” said Danielle Harney, Animal Protection Services Administrator.
Capacity concerns
Animal control officers respond to emergency situations like animal hoarding and can take in large numbers of animals at any given time.
“You never know how many are going to come in the door. You never know. And being the public shelter, you can’t turn animals away. We’re the only open admission shelter in the city of Henderson,” Harney said.
The shelter has come close to capacity but has not had to euthanize any animals due to space.
“Our biggest concern is housing the animals as safely and humanely as possible,” Harney said.
Solar panels and new kennels
A quarter-million-dollar solar panel system is being donated by Sol-Up, a Nevada-based provider of high-efficiency solar technologies. The system will provide about 40% of power for the shelter, saving thousands of dollars a year.
Instead of placing panels on the roof, the shelter will use shade structures in the adoption courtyard and over dog runs.
“In the summertime, as you can imagine, with the sun, it gets really hot. So instead of putting the solar on the roof like you would in your home, our goal was to actually utilize this to put shade structures up, providing shade to the animals, the volunteers, and the guests,” Ryan Kronbetter, Design and Construction Project Manager for the City of Henderson.
The 100 dog kennels next to the play yard, where dogs spend most of their days, are being replaced. The new kennels will be on raised curbs with a new trench drain system that allows volunteers to clean more easily.
In July 2025, the city approved plans for up to $7 million in upgrades to the existing facility and construction of a new on-site office building for animal protection services.
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