The hope is that the expanded Greene County Animal Control space will allow animals to be adopted faster.
XENIA — A $707,000 Greene County building expansion is set to officially open Friday. The expansion of the county’s animal control and services complex, which is located off Dayton-Xenia Road in Xenia, added about 5,400 square feet of space to the county’s old building.
According to Greene County information, the 12-month expansion project was paid for through about $544,000 of dog tag funds for the animal control side and about $163,000 from the county’s general fund for county services portion.
The project added an enclosed garage, a front reception area, an office area and a multi-purpose room to the Greene County Animal Control side, which allow for some of the agency’s old offices to be turned into a three-room surgery suite.
The suite will include a grooming and preparation area, a supply and laboratory room and a surgery room, which will house equipment purchased with a Dayton Foundation grant.
While the project didn’t expand the agency’s animal capacity, according to its director, Dr. Harold Brown, the hope is that the expanded space will allow animals to be adopted faster, as well as for more individuals to be able to keep their animals, through educational programs that could be hosted at the facility.
“Our plan basically was to get administrative space, expansion space to be able to move into classes, public outreach … and not really make the shelter larger,” Brown said. “…to … improve our outreach in getting more animals adopted on a weekly or monthly basis, so at the end of the year we [get] more of our animals adopted locally to forever homes.”
The Greene County Services side of the project added a front reception area, administrative offices and a break area.
“Our offices were originally back inside the building and in order to access them you had to either go through the service garage or the wood shop, which neither is a great idea,” Greene County Services Director Carl Geisler said. “Now we have a very functional, professional front entrance where our customers can come in …”
County services maintains county-owned buildings and vehicles.
The facility will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. The public is invited to tour the Greene County Animal Control side of the expansion Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 641 Dayton-Xenia Road, Xenia. For more information on the open house call 937-562-7400.