Arkansas side names interim shelter director
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Kayla Tucker is the interim director of the Animal Care and Adoption Center, City Manager Kenny Haskin announced in a news release Monday.
Tucker has been a volunteer at the shelter. Haskin praised her “strong background in all phases of animal care, from management and record-keeping to actual care, including grooming.”
She has experience as an employee of pet stores and shelters, including in supervisory positions, and has volunteered with other shelters, rescue groups and wildlife organizations, the release stated.
Citing health concerns, Charles Lokey resigned from the director position last week. The move came as activists planned a protest at the shelter regarding a dog that allegedly was euthanized by mistake.
In a separate statement, Tucker thanked the city for the opportunity “to bring her knowledge and compassion to the shelter” and explained her vision for the shelter.
“My goals include making immediate changes to ensure the shelter is on the right path for the well-being of animals, concentrating on proper training for all staff, and making the shelter a welcome, friendly and clean place to visit.
“I would like to see shelter staff and members of our community come together to make our area a better place for all who live here. I ask that citizens have patience; you can expect to see positive changes beginning in the very near future,” Tucker stated.
In July, the city’s Board of Directors approved taking on $875,000 in low-interest debt to finance an overhaul of the shelter, including construction of an allnew building.
A new 80-foot by 80-foot building will house dog kennels and a cat adoption area, and the design will allow better ventilation and easier cleaning than the current facility does, according to plans.
The center’s current main building will be renovated into a veterinary facility, with a quarantine and isolation area, a spay and neuter clinic, and a surgery recovery room. The center does not now have on-site spay/neuter capability, and animals must be transported to veterinary clinics for those procedures.