FAULKNER COUNTY, Ark. — Update: A quorum court vote in Faulkner County unanimously approved the funding for animal shelter renovations. More than a million dollars will be set aside for the construction of a new shelter.
Construction is expected to start in the next six months.
In Faulkner County, leaders there are moving forward to open a long-awaited, and much-needed animal shelter.
It's several years in the making— but now a new recommendation is on the table and big decisions are expected to be made within the coming weeks.
At the Faulkner County Committee meeting on Tuesday, the budget committee agreed to set aside $1.2 million for construction at the future animal shelter.
Now it's up to the Quorum Court to officially appropriate that funding.
"I would be surprised [if] they didn't fund it. I don't want to step on their toes. But I've been privy to all their conversations in the past. And I think they're more than likely going to appropriate to money. And if they do, then we'll start moving with a remodel as quickly as possible," said Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson.
Judge Dodson said if the court does agree to appropriate the funding for the shelter's construction, they plan to hire a contractor in the next couple of weeks.
After that, he said they'll start remodeling an old flea market building in Greenbrier and will select a non-profit to operate the shelter.
The funding collected from the county's voluntary tax will be supporting the operating costs for the shelter and the $1.2 million for construction will come from American Rescue Plan funding.
"It's a great step forward. We need an animal shelter in this county," he added.
Justice of the Peace and Chairperson for Courts and Public Safety, Maree Coats said she sees the need firsthand.
"I do a lot of animal work as my hobby, and do critical care in orphaned neonatal kittens," Coats said.
She said having a county shelter could help relieve some of the pressure off her and other rescuers.
"In the work that I do, both with the county and with the rescue groups, I see the people that are desperate for help. And when I see the people that are begging us for help with the animals, that's what pulls my heartstrings," she added.
However, she knows it's not a quick process to get a shelter up and running.
"People in Faulkner County don't know how much work has gone into this. But we have been working diligently. It's just a slow process, and we want to make sure that we get it right," she explained.
The full Quorum Court will meet next Tuesday to decide how to move forward with the funding.
Judge Dodson expects construction to start within the next six months.