The proposed site for the new Vicksburg Warren Humane Society on Porters Chapel Road. (Brian LodenThe Vicksburg Post)

[10/13/04]Residents near a site being considered for a new Humane Society shelter say they have mixed feelings about the potential move to Porters Chapel Road.

Officers of the Vicksburg Warren Humane Society said they are looking at the building at 720 Porters Chapel Road to bring together city and county animal control efforts.

Georgia Lynn, president of the Humane Society, said the metal building there would provide more space and a central location.

Dot Everett, 40 Bellwood Drive, lives about 200 yards from the site and said she sees pros and cons.

“I don’t know. I’d need more information,” Everett said. “I don’t know if there would be a smell or if the dogs would be getting out.”

Before the Humane Society can consider moving into the Porters Chapel building and before Warren County supervisors say they will support purchasing the property, the site would have to be rezoned from R-1 residential to L-1 light industrial.

Doing that will require a hearing before the Vicksburg’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Pearl Carter, 700 Porters Chapel Road, said she would have reservations about changing the zoning of the property adjacent to her home.

“I wouldn’t want them to change it and then the Humane Society decide they don’t want it,” Carter said, indicating some other industrial-type use might be more incompatible with homes in the area.

Today, the Humane Society operates from a building and fenced runs east of U.S. 61 South near the municipal airport. Vicksburg’s impoundment is in Kings on North Washington Street.

Lynn said the Humane Society was looking at a plan first proposed by Mayor Laurence Leyens to bring the city’s animal pound under Humane Society control. Under Leyens’ plan, the city would keep its animal control personnel, but contract out shelter operations.

Lynn said the society’s building isn’t big enough if that comes to pass. A larger facility would be needed to take in animals collected by the city.

The current building is about 2,200 square feet and the one on Porters Chapel Road is about 18,980 square feet. That building is owned by Total Environmental Solutions Inc., a company based in Houma, La.

She also said that the location, less than two miles from South Frontage Road and about 3 minutes from the Sack and Save parking lot, will also be beneficial for their adoption customers.

Leyens has pushed for more combined efforts between the city and county toward animal control since taking office in 2001.

“Until we get control of our growing animal population we are going to continue to see growing expenses making it nearly impossible for volunteers like Georgia Lynn to handle,” Leyens said.

Today, the city spends about $200,000 annually on animal control. Warren County is in the second year of paying $120,000 annually to the Humane Society to enforce its new countywide animal control ordinance that went into effect in January. The new law requires pet owners to collar dogs and cats with current vaccination tags.

Since the beginning of the year, the Humane Society has taken in about 1,700 animals in 10 months. Last year, it took in about 1,100 in 12 months.