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Walton County’s Animal Shelter Opens
01/15/10 - 05:38 PM
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The abandoned and unwanted animals in Walton County now have a place to call home.  The Walton County Animal Shelter is completed and fully functional now, complete with enough space to house strays and a vision to improve the lives of pets in the county.

Lois Marlow is in charge of the shelter and has developed a vision plan for the shelter.  It involves having every pet coming in or going out of the shelter spayed or neutered and vaccinated. The staff will assure you that this is no ordinary animal shelter.

Those in charge of caring for the more than 100 animals at the Walton County Animal Shelter know that pets are more than just fur, loving eyes and barks.  And none knows that better than Lois Marlow, the director of the shelter.

Walton County hasn’t always had a nice facility. The new shelter has been a long time in the making and just opened. Now Marlow says she’s working on a new campaign… a way to help lower the cost of adoption:  “We’re looking at hopefully a 55 dollar range for adoption fee and that’s going to include having your animal spayed or neutered and having a rabies vaccination. And we’ll also do a feline leukemia check on the cats and a heartworm test on the dogs.”

Marlow says their goal is to adopt out as many animals as possible and to keep them in loving homes. After seeing many animals returned, the shelter will soon bring in a trainer to help families.

The new facility will be useful in keeping the animals healthy. It’s well-equipped to keep cross contamination to a minimum. It has heated floors and state-of-the-art surgical facilities. Marlow says the success stories have already begun writing themselves:  “…to know that we actually placed that little animal, it’s a feeling inside that you can’t put words to. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life and I love it. I love it!”

The adoption fee issue should come up in the January 26th commission meeting, so if it’s a topic that concerns you, contact your commission member to voice your opinion. The grand opening will also be held on January 26th at 1 p.m.