County is constructing facility for strays

— By SHANTELLE LAUGHLIN

Staff writer

During its meeting on Wednesday, Lions Club members heard from guest speaker Mike Hall about the Ouachita County Animal Rescue Committee and the facility it is constructing.

Hall is a captain and animal control officer at the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department.

He stated that the committee meets once every five weeks and that there are around seven members on the committee.

Hall said that he is currently housing 22 dogs at his house that are in need of new homes.

He also shared that the committee also has the ability to ship dogs to the northern part of the country in the Chicago area, and to Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Hall stated that in the last three months, the committee has shipped 30-45 dogs up north.

For now, the Ouachita County Animal Rescue Committee will be housing dogs and cats at the facility.

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 alloted a budget of $10,000 dollars for the facility, and 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.

For more information, call the Ouachita County Sheriff's Department at 231-5100.

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