Atmore, PCI continue plans for new animal shelter

Published 11:30 pm Tuesday, November 1, 2011

As the city of Atmore and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians prepare to enter into a joint effort to take over animal control duties from the departed Humane Society of Escambia County, both city and tribal leaders are converging to iron out the details of the new organization.

Atmore Mayor Howard Shell said the process is under way, but all of the questions concerning how the new management will function have not yet been answered.

“We’ve talked with Poarch and they have agreed to work with us on animal control,” Shell said. “They’ve got the same situation. They’ve got a problem and we’ve got one and we figured we could work together on it and provide better service on this end of the county than we could if we were doing it by ourselves.”

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Although plans are not finalized, Shell said former Atmore Animal Shelter employee Suzanne Sirmon has been tapped for the animal control officer position of the soon-to-be formed institution.

“Suzanne has been in that position before and has worked with a veterinarian,” Shell said. “She knows what the rules and regulations will be, so we feel very comfortable with it.”

Shell said once the organization is in place, it will serve many of the same functions the HSEC performed before pulling out of the city.

“We’ll do whatever is necessary to get (the animals) picked up and cleaned up,” he said. “We’ll have adoptions for people who would like to adopt them.”

Another important aspect of creating the new shelter will be staffing. While the new location has already been identified as the former shelter site on Cindebrand Road, Shell said how many people will be hired to staff the new group, and who will be chosen, will be up to Sirmon.

“All of that will come together once she’s on board,” Shell said, adding a liaison from the tribe will also work with Sirmon to make the decisions.

Shell said things are coming together, but both Atmore and PCI are working diligently, rather than quickly, to ensure things are done right.

“Right now it’s in its formulation stage, he said. “We’re trying to get everything worked out now. As soon as we get the details worked out then will put them to work.”