CAMDEN — Stray, abused and neglected animals within Ouachita County will soon have a safe place when the Ouachita County Animal Protection Society is finished at the Ouachita County Detention Center.
The animal rescue facility is currently under construction. But once it is complete, it will be able to house 20 dogs at the same time and, if the animals get along, they can be doubled up to house a maximum of 40 animals.
The Ouachita County Quorum Court has allotted a budget of $10,000 dollars for the facility, and OCSD Capt. Mike Hall said that the sheriff has given the committee land space to build.
The facility will be a 120-feet-long by 25-feet-wide shed. It will be made of olstem and concrete slab, three sides will be enclosed, and the front will be open. Inside, there will be 5-feet-wide by 15-feet-long pen, which will lead to a little back door that goes to an outside pen - also 5-feet-wide by 15-feet-long - for their daily outside runs. There will also be a quarantine area, an area for storing food and medicine, and a place for a vet to examine an animal and administer shots. The facility has already received free oil fill pipe and all of the concrete will be paid for.
The committee is currently accepting donations and looking for volunteers for the facility. There is a need for dog food, dog house and dog toys. Donations can be mailed to:
OCAPS
Attn: Captain Mike Hall,
109 Goodgame Street, SW, Camden, AR, 71701
For more information, call the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department at 231-5100, or Captain Mike Hall at 833-0305.
According to Animal Control Director for Camden Police Department Amber Wisinger:
"Camden has had a stray and feral dog problem for a long time. One of my first goals when I took the position as the animal control director at the Camden Police Department was to get the stray population down. The city pound is never empty and has been at - or over - capacity several times since I became director due to the number of stray dogs that are picked up.
"I, along with Animal Control Officer Jackson Walthall, have successfully captured and - with the help of the rescue organization H&P Animal Alliance - re-homed dozens in the past six months, but there are still dogs living on the streets in Camden. It is an uphill battle, but one worth fighting.”
For more information about the Camden City Pound, contact Wisinger at 870-836-5755, or visit the Facebook page “A Home for Fido.”