Completion of the new Warren County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center expected to be delayed until next summer.
Warren County Executive Terry Bell said progress has been slow over the past several months. Bell said the county is trying to keep the project under $400,000 by acting as its own general contractor. However, Bell said that mostly contributed to the slow progress.
“Of course, as anybody knows, most of your contractors right now are covered up,” Bell said. “There is plenty of building going on, so we wind up in situations to where we are just able to pick them up when they don’t have other jobs to actually work on our animal shelter.”
Bell said contractors have started laying block inside, and TCAT will soon come in and work on some of the inside structures. Bell said the new animal shelter facility has been long-awaited.
“We wind up with just so many animals at the animal shelter,” Bell said. “And even this new facility won’t let us handle a whole lot more than what we are handling now, but the animals will have more room, is what they will have.”
Bell said the building is an estimated 6,000 square feet and will essentially double the amount of space the animal shelter currently has. Bell said he is looking forward to opening the new facility.
“It will be huge for our county,” Bell said. “We are so excited to get it done and get it finished. Like I say, I know it’s taken a long time, but the government doesn’t move fast when you go to building. And we had quite a bit of a hiccup on the roof and getting it in the budget to where we need to be to finish out. But the community should be really proud of what we are building because we are building a really nice facility to help the animals in Warren County.”
Bell said he encourages people to spay and neuter their pets to help reduce the issue the county has with stray pets. Bell said the animal shelter is currently offering free adoptions and encourages those looking for a new furry friend to stop by.
