Marble – Public officials gathered at the Valley River Humane Society on Aug. 27 to unveil a new building addition that will provide food storage, workshop space and five dog spaces reserved for law enforcement needs.
The building was made possible by a $100,000 donation from George and Dee Smith of Georgia in memory of their two late sons and a nod to the five German shepherds the couple has had over the years.
A previous donation paid costs to raze the building previously on the site, which was dilapidated and prone to flooding. The new building is 990 square feet and includes a five-stall dog kennel, climate-controlled food storage area and workshop.
The humane society has been busy raising and spending money to bring the facility into compliance with state regulations as well as meeting the needs of two clients, Cherokee and Clay counties, which pay the humane society for animal shelter services. Improvements over the last year include enhanced outdoor fencing, new shelter enclosures, renovations and installation of a surgical suite.
The new building gives law enforcement in Cherokee and Clay counties 24/7 access to bring dogs seized in evidence to the shelter and place them in dedicated spaces.
Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith and some of his senior deputies were at the unveiling, along with Cherokee County Commissioner Cal Stiles and representatives from Clay County.
The dogs’ lives will be better, the cats’ lives will be better and the employees’ lives will be better with the additions, said Don Reynolds, president of the Valley River Humane Society Board of Directors.