DATE
SOURCE: WRAL News by Heidi Kirk
The Edgecombe County Animal Shelter is like a second home for volunteer Kathy Williams, who spend up to 25 hours there every week.
Edgecombe County just broke ground on a new shelter to replace the old one.
Williams said it's decades in the making.
"We have waited so long for this," she said.
Edgecombe County animal services officer Eugene Taylor said the need has increased as the county has grown.
"We have a waiting list for owner surrenders. We don't have the space for them where we are currently. It is an uphill battle every day," he said.
The new building will be around 12,000 to 13,000 sq. ft. with much more room for animals than the current 2,500 sq. ft. building allows.
The current shelter can house only 30 animals. The new shelter will be able to accommodate that number three to four times.
Not only will it help the ever-growing community out east, the Edgecombe County Animal Shelter is often on standby to help house animals from other places during natural disasters.
"[During Hurricane Matthew], we set up an old warehouse with kennels because we didn't have space in the existing building for all the animals," Taylor said.
It's been a community effort to raise funds for the shelter, and with some help from the county, the now $4.9 million project is underway.
"I never thought I would see the day. I really didn't," Williams said.
The project is expected to be completed by December 2025.
