PETERSBURG, AK Volunteers with the Petersburg Humane Association have dreams for a new animal shelter and public dog park and they’re hoping to use the former Tent City site between the airport and Sandy Beach Park. That facility closed in 2003, after serving as an inexpensive seasonal housing option for over two decades. Since then, the city has removed and reused the metal shelter from Tent City. The remaining buildings and tent platforms have fallen into disrepair. The non-profit animal welfare organization sees the site as an opportunity to move the existing dog pound from the city bailer and their cat shelter from an association member’s private home. They also say the site could be a public dog walking area for the community. The group hopes to use volunteer labor and collect donations for the project. They are also seeking a cheap, long-term lease of the city’s land at Tent City and will ultimately need city council approval for the idea. The proposal is making its way through the city’s various advisory boards and commissions before it gets to the city council. Joe Viechnicki walked around tent city with volunteer Anne Lee last week, and talked about the association’s hopes for the site.
