Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The Humane Society of Chilton County is one step closer to an expansion.

The board previously voted to purchase an acre of property that adjoins the property it leases from the city of Clanton.

During a meeting on July 5, board member Jeff Melton gave an update that the land has been surveyed and paperwork necessary for the purchase was being filled out. He said the paperwork should be completed next week.

“The survey is already paid for,” Melton said.

Board president Tracie Robitaille said funds from a donation that was received around the time of the vote will be used to purchase the property. Donations are being accepted to cover the building that will be placed on the site.

The building would be an adoption center, housing only those animals that were ready to be adopted on the spot.

“The existing building would be used to keep the unadoptables — whether it is they are sick, they are holding for rescue or adoption,” Robitaille said.

This plan is less expensive than building an entirely new facility with the added benefit of being able to separate the animals, Robitaille said.

Shelter director Jennifer Fesmire emphasized that the plan still increases the capacity for animals at the shelter.

The shelter only puts down animals who are too sick or aggressive, and it has a less than 1% euthanasia rate. In June, only one animal was euthanized.

Melton said a design for the building needs to be selected.

“I think once we get the land knocked out and get that purchased, then we can start looking at designs of the building and what we are going to need,” Robitaille said. “That will determine the cost there. We can try to find someone who would work with us on getting some blueprints for what we need.”

The board recently renewed its lease with the city on its existing property.

Donations are also being accepted to provide limited free spay/neuter vouchers to the community on July 16. Donations can be made at chiltoncountyhumanesociety.org or 139 Shade Tree Drive in Clanton.

The vouchers will be given away at 11 a.m. until there are no more available or 2 p.m., whichever comes first.

The fee for discounted spay/neuter vouchers that are sold to the public on a continual basis is being increased to try to offset the fee the shelter pays for debit card transactions. The board approved the voucher prices going to $61 for a female dog, $46 for a male dog, $42 for a female cat and $30 for a male cat.

The Humane Society has also submitted the necessary paperwork for its financial review by a local certified public accountant.