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Chief Gruith says staffing, capacity and reporting gaps strain Marshall Pet Adoption Center
Summary
Chief Gruith told the Harrison County court the Marshall Pet Adoption Center took in 994 animals over the year but is operating with one full-time employee and no animal-control officers; he pledged quarterly reports and urged spay/neuter and transport partnerships to manage population.
Chief Gruith told the Harrison County court that the Marshall Pet Adoption Center, opened in 2021, faces staffing and capacity challenges that constrain when the shelter can accept animals.
"Since January of the 1st until the end of the year, we had taken in 994 animals," Gruith said, adding that those intakes do not mean all animals are present at once. He said the shelter currently has one full-time employee, three open positions and "right now we have 0 animal control officers," and that hiring those positions has been difficult.
Gruith described operational limits driven by disease control and state occupancy rules: during parvo outbreaks the center must stop intake and follow state Department of Health guidelines. He said the facility reduced its occupancy from roughly three times the state limit down to the permitted capacity and credited a newly hired manager—Justin Cerna—for improvements in intake processes and customer service.
To reduce in-shelter population, Gruith highlighted a mix of strategies: volunteer programs and fosters, transports to partner shelters (he said transports sometimes move 30–50 animals), and an emphasis on spay-and-neuter programs. He also said an advisory committee of animal-care professionals, including veterinarians, has recommended policy changes that made operations more efficient.
On the shelter's public label, Gruith cautioned that being recognized as a "0 kill" facility does not mean no euthanasia occurs. "We were given the recognition as it being a 0 kill facility, but that does not mean that we don't euthanize dogs," he said, adding that euthanasia is used for vicious, injured or otherwise not-adoptable animals.
Gruith said Marshall is a drop-off facility for Harrison County residents with no charge and that the contract prohibits charging the county for intake; he emphasized county and city residents are handled the same. He also acknowledged that FOMA-funded spay vouchers previously existed but the voucher fund has been exhausted and that grants or other funding would be needed to restore broad voucher availability.
Responding to concerns from commissioners about calls from constituents, Gruith offered to provide regular reports: "we will provide you with a quarterly report," he said, and suggested emailing the judge when intake pauses occur so county offices can explain temporary service limits to callers.
The court did not vote on policy changes during the discussion. Commissioners expressed appreciation for the report and asked for the proposed regular reporting to be shared with the county and city commissions.
