Lincoln County breaks ground on new animal shelter in Walport

Lincoln County officials, volunteers and animal advocates gathered in Walport for a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new Lincoln County Animal Shelter, officials said. The county sheriff, who opened the event, called the project “a new leash on life” for animals in need and thanked staff, volunteers and local partners who helped bring the project to fruition.

Commissioner Claire Hall recounted a history of local support dating to a 2009 budget crisis, saying a coalition of concerned citizens, the Friends of Lincoln County Animals and the Central Coast Humane Society helped secure first an operating levy and later a permanent tax base to keep animal services operating. “Elected officials are here to serve everybody, but we’ve got a special obligation to serve those without voices,” Hall said.

Commissioner Katie Jacobson praised shelter staff and appealed for volunteers and foster caregivers, introducing a rescued dog at the ceremony as an example of the shelter’s work. Representative David Gomberg said he supported recent state legislation intended to spotlight rescues — including a measure to name the shelter rescue dog and cat the official state pet — and credited legislative funding with bringing water and sewer service to the Walport site, a step he called “instrumental to the future of this whole industrial area.”

Sharon Harmon of the Oregon Humane Society praised the site’s proximity to a community college and high school as an opportunity for humane education, volunteer recruitment and workforce development, and noted the site’s usefulness in disaster planning that shelters people and their pets together.

Sarah Weinveen, manager of Lincoln County Animal Services, said she is beginning her 18th year with the agency and described the limits of the temporary facility the team has used for more than five years. “We are currently caring for 21 dogs. We officially have eight dog kennels,” Weinveen said, thanking volunteers and staff for their work under difficult conditions.

Organizers and officials publicly thanked donors, contractors and a local family who negotiated a parcel for the site. The ceremonial portion of the event ended with a coordinated countdown and participants turning the first shovelfuls of earth; crews are expected to begin construction work in the coming months, organizers said.