EVENSVILLE, Tenn. — It’s not known if enough money is available to complete construction of a new Rhea County Animal Shelter, but building continues anyway, officials said.
“Everyone wants this open yesterday,” said Animal Control Officer Marla Messimer.
Construction started in December, but only a little more than half the $50,000 needed to complete the project has been collected, Mrs. Messimer said.
The Rhea County Sheriff’s Department has $27,000 in hand from donations, she said.
But once completed, the shelter will solve many problems with stray animals, she said.
“Everywhere you talk with people, they say there’s a problem with stray animals,” she said. “For me, this will be a godsend.”
The 2,400-square-foot building will have 16 dog stalls, Mrs. Messimer said. The shelter also has a puppy and cat room, office and euthanization room, she said.
Funding has come from private and government donations, officials said. The county chipped in $5,000, and one private donor put in $10,000, officials said.
Mrs. Messimer said she expects completion by the summer. The sheriff’s department will hold a fundraiser next month, and donations still are coming in, she said.
Sheriff Mike Neal said he hopes enough construction will be complete to make the building usable by June 1.
“I don’t think there will be enough (money) to get us 100 percent complete,” he said.
Graysville Animal Officer Ted Doss said the shelter could help ease his load if animals just outside the city limits are caught before they get to Graysville. But he wonders if the county’s budget will include operating expenses for the shelter.
He also said he wonders who will run the facility while Mrs. Messimer is out on calls.
“There’s a lot of questions,” Mr. Doss said.
Rhea County Commission Chairman Terry Broyles said the sheriff probably will include those expenses in his budget proposal in April. The commission will decide if enough money is available for funding, he said.
“We won’t know until we get the budget,” Mr. Broyles said. “But I assume there will be money for operations in it.”
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
