New building at Whitfield County Animal Shelter will expand services

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Whitfield County Animal Shelter Director Diane Franklin said it’s “exciting times” at the facility at 156 Gillespie Drive.

A new 1,800-square-feet building has gone up next to the existing building.

“It is empty at this time, and we are in the process of getting the inside started,” Franklin said. “Hopefully, that will begin soon and we can be in the building by spring.”

The shelter will move its offices and exam room into the new building that will also host the shelter’s first “bonding room.”

“The idea is that people will be able to come in and interact with a dog or a cat and get to know it before they adopt it,” said Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen.

The expansion is being funded with $200,000 from the 2020 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). A SPLOST is a 1% sales tax on most goods sold in the county.

In February, the Atlanta Humane Society agreed to provide up to $30,000 for the shelter to buy stainless steel kennel cages. Franklin said those will be placed in its existing building, which will be turned into a holding area for animals waiting to be taken for adoption as well as animals that come in and are completely up-to-date on their vaccinations, to keep them away from the stray population.

The exact number of cages that will be placed in the building will depend on how much room is left after other functions are moved into the new building. Officials have said they hope to get at least 20 cages in there.