MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — After over two years of planning and renovations, Baldwin County officials opened the doors to their new, larger animal shelter.
The 4,000 square foot building that used to be a jail has been remodeled into shelter that can hold over 30 dogs and cats.
The shelter cost $220,000 in SPLOST funds. In addition to more space, the shelter has rooms for meet and greets, vaccinations, and quarantined animals.
"They'll be coming in and getting taken care of better than what they have in the streets," says animal control manager Rebecca Lanier.
The project was especially important to Lanier, who helped map out the new shelter with her husband.
"We drew out with chalk on the floor where I wanted the rooms to be," says Lanier. "Actually seeing what I saw chalk lines of and seeing walls, it's amazing."
Compared to the county's old facility, the new shelter is a welcome upgrade. The previous shelter was only 900 square feet with 17 dog kennels.
The new building sits a few hundred feet away from the previous one on Orchard Hill Road in Milledgeville.
The shelter's doors are open and animal control workers have already moved in all of their dogs and cats.
"To see them actually in a kennel that is safe, secure for them, for us, I can't even give a word for how I feel about it," says Lanier. "But it's great. It's really great."
If you want to visit Baldwin's new shelter, you can find it at 1395 Orchard Hill Road.
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