Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center’s director and volunteers aimed to make a point, a very cute point, when they brought nine puppies to the Warren County Commission meeting Monday night.

Animal Control volunteers and staff received a Special Recognition certificate for their efforts during recent overcrowding struggles. That same day, nine puppies were brought to Animal Control adding to the already overcrowded kennels. Director Sherri Bradley and some of the volunteers and staff members brought those nine puppies to the meeting to illustrate the growing problem.

County Executive Jimmy Haley says the problems at Animal Control have acted as a rallying call for members in the community, resulting in people stepping up and helping the center.  

“There has been a huge overwhelming desire in our community to do something to help those animals. In a period of a little over two weeks, Animal Control and Adoption Center had 70 plus animals and had more in the last couple of days. It has been hard with that challenge to meet the need of those animals and protect them and still maintain some sort of quality control at that facility,” said Haley.

“Right now we have 110 animals,” said Bradley. “We are still very much overcrowded. These puppies just came in a couple hours ago. We do need help. We do need a bigger facility.”

Haley hopes for a new shelter within the next few years.

“I think if anything this shows what can happen to an animal control center in a very short period of time when it is understaffed and has very limited resources and the space is just not available. I think it is a rallying cause for the public, which I think is being met, to look at the option of a new animal shelter sometime within the next few years,” said Haley.

The puppies along with many other older animals are up for adoption at Warren County Animal Control and Adoption Center located at 169 Paws Trail. Volunteer applications can be picked up at the County Executive’s office.