On Tuesday, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with the Oxford Lafayette Humane Society to manage and operate the newly constructed animal shelter once it is completed.

The new shelter, currently under construction, is located off Industrial Park Road within the Lafayette County Max D. Hipp Industrial Park. Situated on three acres, the 4,160-square-foot facility will provide ample space for animal care, including extensive outdoor areas for exercise and play. The shelter will also collaborate with the Tubb Spay & Neuter Project, which will have a dedicated space within the building to provide essential spay and neutering services.

The construction of the shelter is expected to be completed in March.

“We are working on procuring the necessary equipment,” said Board of Supervisor President Brent Larson. If they approve the contract, OLHS is going to send us a list of what they need, and we’ll get that ordered. It’s a big list, and it will be an extremely expensive endeavor. But we knew that going into this.”

Larson acknowledged the challenges that come with running an animal shelter, noting that demand will likely always exceed available space.

“There’s no amount of square footage you can build that will ever be enough because the need is so great,” he said. “But we are being diligent and methodical, ensuring that we provide the public with a much-needed service.”

The contract with OLHS is currently under review by the organization’s board.

OLHS ran the only shelter in Lafayette County and Oxford for many years before moving on to focus on its low-cost spay and neutering program in 2018.

Larson said OHLS was the only organization that submitted a request to manage the shelter