Celebrating a year at their fur-ever home: Animal shelter marks anniversary at Jacksonville facility

by Michelle Dillon michelle@thecheroekeean.com
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The Jacksonville Animal Shelter is celebrating its one-year anniversary in its location at 208 E. Tena St.

To commemorate the anniversary, the shelter is offering half-price adoption fees now through Friday, March 13.

The normally $40 adoption fee will be cut to $20 during the promotion but will still cover microchipping, according to Director of Animal Services Gary Grimes.

The fee will not cover spaying or neutering nor a rabies vaccination, both of which are required by state law for adoptive pets.

Pictures of animals ready for adoption can be viewed online on the Animal Shelter & Animal Control page of the city’s website.

The limited-time special rate gives the shelter a way to celebrate the anniversary and get animals adopted into good homes. The idea for a half-price adoption fee was a group effort, according to Grimes.

“We have quite a few [animals] back there but the idea is to get them adopted to a good home,” Grimes stated. “That was the whole idea of the adoption event.”

The team consists of Grimes and two animal control officers, Robert Jowell and Jessica Martin. Robert “Bobby” Jowell was employed by the city before Grimes’ arrival this past October. However, Grimes did say of Martin, who was hired in late December, “She was the best decision I’ve made since I’ve been here.”

Jowell is Senior Animal Control Officer and has been employed with the city for three years. He has earned JPD’s Employee of the Month (Sept. 2019) and Civilian Employee of the Year (2019).

Martin, who was previously employed as a prison guard, enjoys her work with the shelter and commented that her children view her as “a real-life Paw Patrol.”

“I love it here and love my coworkers,” Martin stated. “We act like a family.”

The shelter works with the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and other organizations to place animals in good homes.

The reason for such cooperation, according to Grimes, is because the SPCA and others have resources Jacksonville does not, such as larger facilities, networking systems and foster programs.

When the Jacksonville Animal Shelter moved from its previous location to Tena Street, the newly renovated facility offered a capacity of approximately five times the animals. Along with the renovations to the building paid for by the city, many community members pitched in as well, providing manual labor and beautifying the property. Among the volunteers were city employees, Friends of the Animal Shelter and Keep Jacksonville Beautiful.

Visit jacksonvilltx.org or the shelter’s Facebook page.

Shleter hours are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday. The shelter can be reached at (903) 339-3386.