Habersham animal shelter prepares for upcoming changes

After Habersham County’s latest SPLOST passed with overwhelming support, the Habersham County Animal Shelter is preparing for the upcoming changes that come along with it.

Habersham animal shelter residents excitedly await the news about their temporary home– but they’re even more thrilled about finding their fur-ever homes.

“We are so excited with the SPLOST passing because the animal shelter was one of the items that was on the SPLOST,” Madi Nix, Habersham County Animal Care and Control Director said. “I mean, it’s been something that we have dreamed about– I know I have– since I started here about 10 years ago.”

The recently passed SPLOST includes $1.75 million for a new Animal Shelter, which the county desperately needs.

“One of the most exciting things I am ready for is having a facility with proper ventilation that people will not walk in and go ‘pee-yew.’ It doesn’t matter how much you clean in a facility like this, if you don’t have proper ventilation, you cannot get the cat smell out,” Nix said. “We’re also excited to have somewhere that the community wants to come to instead of a sad, depressing jail-type facility for animals.”

Alongside these exciting developments for the Habersham shelter, volunteers have stepped up to help the shelter get some spiffy new signage for the exciting changes ahead.

Habersham officials welcome the new Animal Care and Control sign, which catches the attention of those driving past; Pictured from right to left: Mike Bramlett, Madi Nix, and Randy Haney

“We had a great volunteer and friend of the shelter, Lori Attaway, who decided that she was going to help us get a new shelter sign,” Nix said. “There had been many times when Miss Lori had come to do volunteer transports for us or come help us out with a thing or two, and with her being not from the area, she would constantly miss the entrance to the shelter. And so she finally said, you know what? I’m buying these guys’ a sign.”

The Habersham Animal Care and Control team unveiled their new sign at a public gathering Friday, Nov. 20. No county commissioners attended.