Despite difficult economic times and increasing instances of animal neglect and abuse in the county, there’s new hope for animals in need of shelter in Grantsville these days.

Volunteers have been working to improve the Grantsville City Animal Shelter. The shelter has not euthanized any adoptable animals over the past nine months and recently gained approval from the city for a small expansion project, adding outdoor dog runs to the facility.

The changes have come about as a result of the work of two particularly dedicated volunteers, animal lovers Laura Bullock-Hill and Denise Steedman.

Bullock-Hill, who was working with local rescue group Tooele Animal Outreach, began volunteering with Grantsville’s shelter during May of last year.

“I got involved and loved it,” Bullock-Hill said. “It has become my passion.”

Steedman joined her only a month or two after Bullock-Hill began working with the shelter, answering an advertisement asking for help at the Grantsville shelter. Steedman also quickly became involved with the animal outreach program.

The two women ensure other volunteer efforts are coordinated, dogs are walked, kennels cleaned and dishes filled during their daily routine of caring for the animals. They’re helped by scouting groups or other occasional volunteers. Emergency vet care, though less routine, is also among their responsibilities.

But the area of adoptions is where their efforts have made the greatest difference. Both maintain ads on pet-specific Web sites for all the animals available through the shelter and the various rescues fostering animals from the shelter. They put their personal numbers on the ads, taking turns sifting through endless phone calls in search of homes for their animals.

“We make sure there’s a live voice on the phone to make sure animals are adopted quickly,” Steedman said.

Between Bullock-Hill, Steedman, and a third volunteer, Blake Park, the trio averages an estimated 30 to 35 hours a week of donated time at the shelter working every third day. On top of that, they also work full-time jobs. Bullock-Hill is a school teacher at Stansbury Park Elementary School, and Steedman is a self-employed courier.

One of their most recent goals has been to expand their operation by building outdoor dog runs on the unoccupied city land just outside the shelter. Though the city has granted use of the land, there is no funding available for such a project, leaving the shelter at the mercy of donations.

“Some of the dogs are young and high-energy, and they go bonkers from being kept inside,” Bullock-Hill said. “We just need to get the community together to donate money, supplies or labor.”

Bullock-Hill said those interested in helping should contact her at 830-2765 for more information.

Though volunteering has kept Bullock-Hill busy over the past several months, she felt the additional work was well worth the effort.

“The animals really bond with you,” she said. “It really feels good to know I’m making a positive difference with these animals.”