Guilford County officials are getting ready to open a new animal shelter. The moving process begins this month.
The replacement shelter has x-ray equipment, a grooming room, natural light and plenty of indoor and outdoor space for animals to play. Director of Guilford County Animal Services Jorge Ortega says it's nearly double the size of the old one.
“This new facility is going to give us that opportunity for the dogs and the cats and any other critters that we might have here the opportunity to find homes a whole lot faster than our current facility," he says.
There's also a new name. It's called The Guilford County Animal Resource Center. Ortega says they want to be a boon to community members who may need some extra support to help keep their pet.
“That's why we wanted to call this a resource center and not just another animal shelter," says Ortega.
The new site comes after years of personnel shakeups, alleged financial misappropriation and investigations into animal cruelty at the previous shelter. But Ortega says a lot has happened since he took the reigns in late 2017, and he hopes the new building is another step forward.
A ribbon-cutting for the new facility located on Guilford College Road will take place on October 29. It will open to the public on November 1.
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