Animal shelter property for sale

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard

After closing the animal shelter, Humane Society officials now say they plan to sell the property on Collie Lane.

The Humane Society has announced it will permanently close its animal shelter on Collie Lane and plans to sell the property.

Humane Society officials said the shelter will be closed permanently this Monday, Oct. 3. After certain items are cleaned out of the facility, the property and remaining contents will then be for sale.

“I don’t know what the future holds, if anything at all,” said shelter manager Beth Farmer. “The Humane Society has been here for 30 years and it’s died a slow death. It’s going to get really bad in Warren County for animals, and in turn for people.”

The Humane Society will hold an adoption day this Saturday, Oct. 1 with the hope of finding homes from its remaining animals. The adoption day is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tractor Supply. Humane Society treasurer Riche Churchill reports there are eight dogs and a couple cats that still need to be adopted. Any animals not adopted will be euthanized Monday.

“There’s no money and there hasn’t been any money,” said Churchill. “So we can’t do anything.”

The Humane Society’s most recent trouble — and the straw which broke the camel’s back — came in late July with the county operating under a continuing budget. Since a new budget was not in place, the county halted funding to non-profit organizations which meant the Humane Society didn’t receive any money for the animal shelter.

With no county money, the Humane Society announced it would no longer accept animals from outside McMinnville city limits, a tactic the organization had used to pressure county officials in the past. The Warren County Commission, however, grew tired of Humane Society ultimatums and discontinued all funding.

The county has plans to open its own animal shelter and has received several donations — including $10,000 cash — toward that goal. County officials hope a new shelter can be operational this year.

Churchill says the Humane Society will continue to function as a source of information and encourage pet owners to have their animals spayed or neutered.

“The Humane Society itself will continue as long as there are enough people interested,” said Churchill. “We’ll try to obtain grants and make available vouchers for low-income pet owners to help with the cost of spaying and neutering.”

Anyone with questions about the Humane Society should contact Farmer at 607-9424 or Andy Anderson at 668-9660.