Page 120 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2018

FIRST RESPONDERS furry friends JACKSON COUNTY
ANIMAL SHELTER
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster
photo courtesy of
EJackson County Animal Shelter
stablished in 1985, the Jackson County Animal Shelter began simply as a holding facility for animal control. Today, the shelter
has grown to accommodate more than 200 animals and has implemented an active adoption and fostering program among other initiatives.
“The average day at the shelter can best be described as controlled chaos,” Director Joe Barlow said laughingly. “With a limited number of places to house animals and increased animal intakes, we stay very busy trying to manage our animals and find live- release options for them.”
In May of this year, the Jackson County Animal Shelter took in a total of 514 animals.
A typical day begins with feeding all the animals and cleaning the kennels. Caretakers come in around 6:00 a.m. and by 10:00 a.m. the public spaces such as the adoption areas are ready to open. The shelter’s ongoing adoption initiative has been very successful. “Our adoption fee is $50 for any animal in the shelter,” Barlow said. “That fee covers the adoption, spay/ neuter and current vaccinations. No one can beat our standard price for what you get.”
Since 2014, the shelter has had an on-staff veterinarian who helps with administering medication to sick animals twice daily and performs spay/neuter surgeries.
“Our shelter is also the holding facility for five separate animal control
JACKSON COUNTY Animal Shelter staff.
departments,” Barlow continued. “Animals from Pascagoula, Moss Point, Ocean Springs and Gautier are brought here. Additionally, we have three officers for the unincorporated areas of the county that work out of the shelter.”
Animal Control Officers respond to a wide variety of calls, including strays, abuse and neglect, animal attacks and bites, and livestock issues.
Jackson County also offers shelter for pets during emergency situations. This is offered to people who are staying at the county operated public shelters. “When the shelters for residents open, our Animal Control Officers make rounds to those shelters, document the owner’s information and then deliver the animals to the building where we house them,” said Barlow. “Shelter staff come prepared to live at that
building until the county calls the all clear, at which time the owners may begin picking up their animals. During this same time frame, other shelter staff are assigned to stay at the shelter itself so that someone is there to take care of the shelter animals during the event.”
120 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2018
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Jackson County Animal Shelter Audubon Lane, Gautier, MS 39553 228.497.6350 www.co.jackson.ms.us