The last bark heard at the Pet Connection will be sometime this evening when the last of the shelter's animals are taken to Dickinson.

Wendy Artlip, a board member of the Pet Connection, said the last 13 dogs will be going to Oreo's Animal Rescue, of Dickinson, which has taken 80 percent of the shelter's 200-plus animals.

Dogs are all that remain as the last of the cats were either adopted or taken to other shelters over the weekend.

Artlip said she has received an outpouring of support from animal shelters all over the country, including ones in Connecticut and Maryland that are willing to accept some of the animals.

"The interest has just been phenomenal,"Artlip said.

The Pet Connection is closing because of financial reasons.

Bismarck police chief Debra Ness is attempting to come up with an interim solution and is expected to make a presentation to the Bismarck City Commission next Tuesday.

Once the lease details for the building that houses the Pet Connection are finalized, Ness will send out information to several parties, including Pet Connection, which are interested in managing the facility. Ness' plans call for leasing the building for a year and contracting for management. The police chief also has gotten the city commission to agree to putting a measure on November general election ballot to add a half mill to property taxes with revenue dedicated to the pound and shelter.

Artlip said other shelters that took some of the animals include the Central Dakota Humane Society north of Mandan and shelters in Jamestown and Grand Forks.

Kim Brummond, owner of West Dakota Veterinary Clinic, and board member of Oreo's, said the organization has taken about 50 cats and seven dogs so far.

"We have animals coming out of our ears," Brummond said.

The animals taken by Oreo's are being housed at Brummond's clinic; some have been adopted and others are in foster homes. Brummond said some of the animals even have been returned to Bismarck where new owners adopted them.

Oreo's, a nonprofit organization, doesn't have it's own facility.

There was a rumor spreading that animals at the Pet Connection would be put down if they weren't adopted, but Artlip said that didn't happen.

"No animal was ever going to be euthanized,"Artlip said.

People can call the West Dakota Veterinary Clinic at 483-0240 if they would like to adopt one of the pets.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@;bismarcktribune.com.)