The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's Animal Shelter will change its hours as of Sunday, November 3 in order to provide more consistency for residents and add two additional hours for public shelter services per week. The new hours will be 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day of the week except Wednesdays when the shelter is closed. 

The new hours will provide consistency across all of the days that the shelter is open. Previously, the shelter opened at 10:00 a.m. and closed at 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and weekdays except for Wednesday and operated from noon until 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The new hours are designed to provide better customer service for residents and better care of animals at the shelter. The consistency in hours no matter the day of the week, as well as opening two additional hours per week, allows residents to visit the shelter with surrenders or for adoption purposes during hours that are more convenient. Opening the shelter to the public one hour later most mornings provides more time for staff to better care for animals before the shelter is open to the public.

At the October 1, 2019 Regular Session voting meeting, the Athens-Clarke County Commission unanimously approved an agenda item that established the Animal Services Department as an independent department reporting directly to the Manager’s Office for appropriate and consistent oversight. Previously, the operations were part of the Central Services Department. 

The approval also created three new full-time positions in the department from five part-time positions in Animal Shelter operations and a new department director position from a superintendent position. Selah Gardiner, who has served in the Volunteer Coordinator position, is serving as Interim Department Director until the job is filled through a national search. Applications are currently being accepted for the position until November 25, 2019 through www.accgov.com/jobs.