A national animal rescue organization will be partnering with the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter in the future to provide rescue and foster services for animals and volunteer opportunities for residents.
Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey announced the animal shelter reached a partnership agreement with the Asheville, N.C., based Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.
“We reached out to them many months ago,” Humphrey told the Elizabethton Star on Wednesday. “They’ve been here and visited our shelter, and they conducted an assessment of our operations.”
“They’re willing to come in and set up programs at no cost to the city or county,” Humphrey said of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “They have extensive experience and a proven track record in organizing local citizens and rescue groups in partnership with municipal animal care and control operations, and they have an award-winning volunteer program and proven track record in recruiting and organizing citizens to augment shelter operations labor needs.”
While plans for the new programs are currently in the assessment phase, Humphrey said no programs will be implemented until after the State Comptroller’s Office completes their investigation into shelter operations under the previous director. Humphrey said the county must wait to see what the findings of the investigation are and what, if any, corrective measures will need to be put into place to bring the shelter into compliance.
“I do not want to implement anything before that because it doesn’t make any sense,” Humphrey said. “We want to make certain that anything we implement is in line with their recommendations.”
Humphrey said he would make a public announcement once the new programs are ready to launch and will advertise an open call for applicants to be considered to participate in the new programs.
In addition to agreeing to partner with the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter, Humphrey said Brother Wolf Animal Rescue Executive Director Paul Berry informed him the rescue group will be presenting Carter County with its “Excellence in Leadership” award in recognition of achievements at the animal shelter since July 2016.
“Brother Wolf shared with us that they are very impressed with the level of leadership my office and the County Administration has shown regarding upgrading our facilities and operations,” Humphrey said. “Mr. Berry and Ms. Denise Bitz, Founder and President, plan to join us during the March 20, 2017, Commission meeting to present the award.”
In a statement released by Brother Wolf Animal Rescue through Humphrey’s office, Berry praised the work done at the local animal shelter by Humphrey and his staff.
“The quality of leadership and follow through in Carter County government with respect to municipal shelter facility and operations is exemplary,” Berry said in the statement. “Indeed, on all three aspects — facility, shelter operations, and government leadership — Carter County has raised the bar for municipal shelter operations standards in your economic and demographic brackets.”