Airport Will Build New Dog Walking Trails at Charlotte Animal Shelter

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport will clear trees and demolish walking trails behind Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control by May 1. Construction of new trails to be used by the shelter is expected to begin in the next few weeks.

Staff notified volunteers that the old trail system is partially closed, but some sections will remain open for the shelter's use. The airport will begin removing all trees no later than May 1 to install stormwater infrastructure and establish storage areas for excavated soil from multiple construction sites.

Volunteers constructed these trails over years to give dogs at the shelter chances to move and stay active. The paths loop around the building. Dogs get time outside their kennels.

"The volunteers, the staff, and the dogs thoroughly enjoy their time on those trails," said Megan Bever, according to WCNC. "We are pretty limited with the space. We have a parking lot right now, but we have hundreds of dogs and hundreds of volunteers."

Bever has worked at the location for years without pay. She said the trails offer dogs and people relief from shelter pressures.

Safety worries will grow without the trail system, according to Bever. Rules require dogs with certain sicknesses to avoid other animals during walks. All dogs must stay 10 feet apart as a precaution.

"On a given day, there could be 20-30 of us there, especially on a weekend, and keeping that space is vital to safety," Bever said. The volunteer fears a parking lot and a few play yards won't give enough room to keep animals separated safely.

Hot pavement could burn paws as temperatures climb. Without the wooded trails, parking lots would become the only walking option, Bever said.