MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The Baldwin County Animal Shelter got a stop order form the Georgia Department of Agriculture this week, but after months of construction, a new shelter is almost done and ready to open its doors.
Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar says 'the finishing touches' is all that's left for the county's new animal shelter.
The new shelter is just up the street from the current shelter, on the site of the old Baldwin County jail.
Tobar says re-purposing the old jail was a better option for taxpayers.
"To build one from scratch to be as strong as this one is, we would've spent about $1.5 million, but because we are re-purposing the old jail, we are only spending $220,000 of SPLOST funds, and we anticipate that we'll be right on budget," said Tobar.
To cut down on overcrowding, which the current shelter is facing now, the new building will have more room and more space for dogs and cats.
"We currently have 17 dog kennels next door, and we'll have 26 here, plus the ability to expand another six if we need that," said Tobar.
With all the extra space, Tobar says changes they've made recently will allow them to keep the same amount of staff members, including a part-time adoption and rescue workers.
"We do have more staff now than we had a year ago, and we think that that's making a big difference in finding a forever home for the dogs and cats," he said.
The goal is to have animals moved in within a few weeks of completion. Tobar says the shelter is expected to be done by October 31.
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