AMES, Iowa — There's been a recent change in state standards for animal shelters.
Local 5 has learned that some of the most challenging changes for shelters is having a separate isolation area for incoming or ill animals.
These new state standards dictate changes need to happen more quickly.
And at the Ames Animal Shelter, they hope to do just that, so animals like "Peanut Butter" can thrive in environments before they find their forever homes.
"One of the big changes we are doing is replacing all of our dog kennels," Ron Edwards, supervisor at Ames Animal Shelter, said.
"We have only 14 kennels here at the Ames Animal Shelter."
Replacing the kennels will cost around $45,000.
But Edwards says it needs to happen.
"There are these sharp edges where the chain link comes out," Edwards said.
The shelter also plans to add a mobile unit for ill animals.
"By adding another unit to the back of the building there will be more space and we won't have to decrease cage size in order to increase capacity," Abby Weimann, a clerk at the Ames Animal Shelter, said.
The changes are being paid for by donations and city funds.
The state of Iowa has given a deadline of June 8 to these animal shelters to meet these requirements.
We reached out to rural cities. many of them tell Local 5 they have to redo their entire foster program to meet the new standards.