Parish officials on Wednesday unveiled a new 24-foot-long roving animal house on wheels capable of holding 43 stray animals and announced plans to drive the trailer around the parish looking for owners to adopt the pets.

The $500,000 air-conditioned trailer, stacked floor to ceiling with individual kennels, boasts two Muriel-painted sides that flip open for easy viewing of the animals inside.

“A cute little puppy is the best selling tool,” said Interim Director of Parish Animal Services Melisa Sullivan-Piwetz, adding 30 cats and 15 dogs are currently available for adoption.

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The trailer, bought with grants and money allocated from the St. Tammany Parish Department of Animal Services, is the newest weapon to fight euthanasia of animals, she said.

While euthanasia rates dipped 4 percent the first quarter of 2008, St. Tammany still puts to sleep roughly two out of 10 animals dropped off at its door. Last year the rate was roughly 70 to 80 percent, but statistics were reconfigured to include only those animals healthy enough to be adopted, resulting in the 20 percent kill rate.

“If we cut in half the animals dropped off at the shelter, that would just about stop the euthanasia rate,” said Suzanne Parsons Stymiest, the parish’s spokeswoman who’s adopted at least one dog from the shelter.

The goal is to park the trailer at various neighborhood, community and parish events, including the upcoming National Night Out Against Crime, and attract adoptive families. The next animal service adoption day is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Good Dog Naturally on U.S. Highway 190 in Covington. At least one “on-location trailer adoption day” will be held each month.

Sullivan-Piwetz hopes the trailer helps reduce the euthanasia rate to zero.

“We do think it’s possible,” she said.

But the department needs community support, Parish President Kevin Davis said.

“When you see those pets you understand why we don’t want to euthanize any of those animals,” he said.

The trailer will also be used to evacuate animals in case of emergencies, such as hurricanes.