JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Last month, the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter announced it was bringing in Summit Leadership to observe shelter procedures and make a recommendation for how the shelter can improve moving forward.
At a board meeting Tuesday, President Matt Overby presented Summit’s findings to the Animal Control Board. Overby suggested the inclusion of a temporary on-site administrative advisor.
This new advisor would work at the shelter full-time for six months, looking to establish policies and procedures to provide the best care for the animals.
“We really look forward to that person being on-site five days a week, giving us their expertise and providing us guidance for continual improvement,” said Ken Huffine, President of the Animal Control Board. “And the real key is sustainability long term.”
The shelter says it houses around 500 animals in its facility. Huffine said the board enlisted Summit to help determine the best way to care for the animals and keep the shelter running successfully.
“So we really need to have a very strong organization in place, procedures that we follow, processes that we follow, and accountability to each and everyone,” said Huffine. “So Summit came and looked at where we are currently and provided a recommendation to bring, really, an expert in.”
At tonight’s meeting, the board voted to allocate a portion of the budget to go towards hiring professional services such as Summit.
“So that was not in the original plan, but we felt it was a necessity and we will make the adjustments necessary for that,” said Huffine.
Huffine said that the board’s main focus is helping the animals in their care.
“At the end of the day, if we put a smile on these faces, we’ve accomplished our goal and find them a forever home,” said Huffine.
According to a press release sent out following the meeting, the next step for the board is to reorganize staffing and volunteers at their next workshop session.
