Olive Branch mulls ‘no kill’ animal shelter
Olive Branch elected officials heard a proposal Tuesday night to designate the city’s animal shelter as a no-kill facility and boost adoptions to 90 percent.
Charles Reinhorn, with supporters in attendance, told the Board of Aldermen that he believed the adoption rate was attainable “within the existing budget.”
The Board did not take any action, but Mayor Scott Phillips said the proposal will be reviewed.
Records show the animal shelter now has an 83 percent “save rate.”
“I don’t think you will find anybody here that doesn’t want to save more animals,” Phillips said.
Reinhorn, who moved to Olive Branch eight years ago, became involved in saving animals after helping rescue a hungry dog that roamed his Cherokee Valley neighborhood. He disputes the accuracy of city records and remarked that at a 90 percent no-kill shelter there are no empty cages as he’s observed in Olive Branch.
“We want to establish a new lifesaving policy for our animal shelter, bring new revenue through public-private partnerships and provide volunteer manpower,” Reinhorn said to aldermen in a prepared statement.
The shelter came under the supervision of the Police Department in mid2011. Three city employees conduct day-to- day operations. Employees work closely with volunteers and rescue groups to facilitate adoptions.
According to the Police Department, the shelter took in 671 animals in 2012, and 83 dogs and 36 cats were euthanized.
Reinhorn believes a 90 percent save rate is attainable, saying that cities including suburban municipalities in Shelby County report success with this standard.
He proposed that he be facilitator of a newly created, five-member Animal Welfare Board overseen by a city employee.