Commissioners debate staffing, vehicles and call volume as Swain’s animal shelter prepares to open

Commissioners spent substantial time on animal-control and animal-shelter operations. Commissioners and county staff said the physical shelter building is completed but cannot yet accept animals until required approvals and an operating ordinance are finalized. In the meantime, staff have been deep-cleaning the facility and coordinating veterinary oversight.

Board members questioned whether two animal-control vehicles are necessary while the shelter is not yet fully operational and asked for monthly data on calls to better assess staffing and schedule needs. One commissioner requested that the sheriff’s office provide monthly counts of dog-related calls or bites so the board can determine operational needs and whether two full-time animal-control officers are justified.

Commissioners discussed dispatch protocols and recordkeeping: some animal-bite reports come via hospital/ER records, some via dispatch. Suggestions included analyzing call timing to schedule staggered shifts and using call-time data to refine staffing levels; no formal staffing action was taken at the meeting.