LONG BEACH, Calif. - When the Dawson County Humane Society in Dawsonville, Ga., opened the area’s first animal shelter in April 2008, they ran out of money before air conditioning could be installed in the dog kennels.

“Our budget was limited, and something had to be cut,” said Brenda Lee, a shelter volunteer and member of the humane society’s board of directors. “If we had waited to secure more funds, we would have had to delay opening, and without a shelter in our county, the animals had nowhere to go.”

As summer approached and temperatures started to climb into the 90s, the lack of air conditioning presented a serious problem. “The dogs were miserable. They were just lying there panting,” said Lee. “The staff was having a pretty tough time, too.”

Determined to find a solution, Lee contacted MovinCool, a major manufacturer of portable spot air conditioners. The company responded by donating three of its high-output units, which are designed for quick installation in emergency situations.

“We are very grateful that MovinCool came to our rescue,” said Lee. “We hooked up two of the air conditioners as soon as we got them. The difference was like night and day. Now the dogs are keeping cool, and so are the humans.”

The shelter is planning to install the third MovinCool unit in its new “puppy pavilion,” a storage shed that volunteers are converting into a quarantine and adoption center for puppies. The project is on hold until the shelter can find a donation source for needed building materials.

“MovinCool air conditioners are mainly used to cool people and equipment, but there is no reason they can’t cool animals, too,” said John Doran, MovinCool senior manager, Heat Management and Customer Service. “We are very glad to contribute to such a worthy cause as this.”

For more information, visit www.movincool.com.

Publication date: 03/02/2009