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Director Gatlin praises staff response, outlines new shelter timeline and chip-scanner rollout
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Summary
Wilson County Animal Control Director Gatlin reported the department is fully staffed, praised employees who worked through an ice storm, highlighted volunteer and school outreach programs, and said bids for a new shelter will be reissued within weeks; he also described a successful microchip-scanner program that helped reunite lost dogs with owners.
Wilson County Animal Control Director Gatlin told the board the department’s March operations and budget are ‘‘about where we expected’’ and that the shelter is fully staffed.
Gatlin praised staff who worked through a recent ice storm without electricity, saying employees walked in to care for animals and performed cleaning and animal care despite hazardous conditions. He also recounted the department’s assistance in a large hoarding response with neighboring Lebanon and Mount Juliet animal control, saying the effort cost overtime but resulted in no injuries.
Gatlin described outreach efforts including a visit from Southside Elementary’s FFA and a promotional spot produced by WCTV that, along with a volunteer-led photo program, has improved marketing and adoptions. "We have a great group of people that work really, really hard," he said, adding that volunteers now contribute more than 200 hours a month to walking, playgroups and other support.
On facility planning, Gatlin said bids for a new shelter came back higher than expected, so staff performed a slight redesign (mainly interior wall changes and adjustments related to heating and air) and plan to reissue the project to bid within about two weeks. He said advertising for the bid will be handled by Jackie and estimated a contractor could begin work in two to three months after a contract is awarded.
Gatlin also described a rollout of four chip-scanner stations placed in municipal locations to allow finders to scan a lost dog and follow posted directions to reunite the animal with its owner without requiring an after-hours animal-control response. He shared an anecdote about a caller who said she was in tears after getting her dog back following a scan. "The less we get through the front door, the better," Gatlin said, describing the scanners as a way to reduce nighttime callouts.
The board approved the director’s report by voice vote; the minutes record the motion and a second but do not include a roll-call tally.
