The Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society Opens New Doors

         Lil' Bit gets comfortable in her kennel at the new OLHS shelter

OXFORD, Miss.—Last year, Sarah Turcotte and the rest of the five person Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society staff sat crammed in a stuffy, old trailer. Animals with special needs wandered around the tiny space. Turcotte cringed when she looked outside the small plastic window where the dogs were grouped together in homemade cages.

            “The trailer was a tin can,” said Sarah Turcotte, OLHS Executive Director. “There was not enough room for the staff to do their job properly and the facilities could not accommodate the needs of the animals.”

            Starting this February, things have changed for the OLHS staff and animals. They have moved from the trailer on Highway 7 to a brand new facility next to the Oxford airport on McElroy Drive. The new shelter has been an ongoing project and the object of OLHS’s fundraising events for many years.

            “It is so nice being so much closer to town,” said Whitney Rayner, vice president of the OLHS board of directors. “The new location has already helped increase adoptions. We have had 20 in the last week!”

The new facility has three buildings. The main building has a reception area, conference center, separate offices, and a place where the staff and volunteers can clean up or shower.

             The building also contains a cat room, which is much larger than the old trailer’s room. There are two separate puppy rooms. One room holds the vaccinated puppies, while the other contains the puppies that have not had their shots. This should decrease the likelihood of spreading diseases, Rayner said.

            The second building contains large kennels for the grown dogs. There are large run areas attached to the kennels, which will allow the dogs more exercise room and will also decrease dog fights, Turcotte said.

            “It used to make me sad to visit the old shelter because I felt like there weren’t enough volunteers to walk all the dogs, but now the dogs seem so happy because they can play in the outdoor area,” said Blakeney Rader, OLHS volunteer.

            The third building is the medical building where animals receive check-ups, vaccinations, and can be neutered or spayed. There is also a quarantine area to prevent sick animals from spreading diseases.

            The Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society is a non-profit organization. It still needs donations to finish building and to keep the facility running. There is also a strong need for volunteers in the new facility, who are available to play with the animals or to help with fundraising events.

            An “Open House Event” will be held on Sunday, March 27, at the new facility. The staff will be giving tours; there will also be prizes, games, training sessions, and snacks available, Turcotte said.  The goal of the fundraiser will be to raise awareness and thank OLHS supporters.

The new facility has made it much easier for Turcotte to do her job and tend to the animals. She loves to look outside her new, large window to see a steady flow of volunteers playing with the animals.

            “I’m so proud and so relieved when I walk around the new facility,” Turcotte said. “The animals and the staff are finally getting the environment that they need and deserve.”

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