Shelter urging adoptions, will not euthanize animals after shut down

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — There are currently approximately 150 cats, dogs and pets housed at the Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter.

The decision by the Limestone County Commission to shut down the only animal shelter in the county has not sat well with those who are concerned about the animals.

According to Commission Chairman Collin Daly, the county’s contract with the shelter is $550,000.00 per year. The shelter’s bid included an increase to $900,000.00. The expense increase signaled the end of the shelter on October 1.

“Payroll is roughly half of the budget and then things like business insurance, workers comp, all of the vaccines and all of the prevention, the disinfectants, the laundry detergent and the utilities,” Shelter Director Elizabeth O’Conner said.

The contract termination means that the shelter will ramp up its efforts to find suitable homes for the pets.

Many of the furry friends will have to be transported to the proposed county-run facility.

Many citizens have reached out to News 19 with concern that the animals who do not have a suitable home will have to be put down.

O’Conner says she’s had very little communication about the county’s plans, but it is not up to the shelter to terminate the lives of the pets.

“If we have 70 dogs left after October 1 and they have 15 to 20 kennels at the temporary facility, it will be on them to decide how to handle that and that situation,” said O’Conner. But we won’t be euthanizing any animals at the end of our contract. They will now be in the possession of the county, and they will be making those decisions for those animals.”

O’Conner added that the shelter is still taking in strays from animal control as well as citizen drop-offs.

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