Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) Manager Bob Cowell has appointed Thomas "Tony" Adair to serve as the new Animal Services Department Director starting June 15, 2026. Adair has more than 25 years of leadership experience directing municipal animal control and shelter operations in both metropolitan and county governments.

"Tony brings a wealth of experience to this role in not only shelter management, but also in animal welfare and animal cruelty investigations," said Cowell. "He has a unique breadth of knowledge in both enforcement and operations that will serve our residents and the animals in our care extremely well in this director role."

In his most recent animal services role for local government, Adair served for three years as the Director of Animal Services for Cleveland County, North Carolina, where he managed shelter operations, enforcement operations, and community programs while supervising 35 staff members and establishing an animal trust fund to support lifesaving programs. 

Prior to his role with Cleveland County, Adair served as the Director of Animal Services for three years with Broward County, Florida. During this time, he assisted with the planning of a $16 million municipal animal services facility and received a National Association of Counties Award for Information Technology Excellence. 

"I am deeply honored to join the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government as the Animal Services Department Director," says Adair. "I am excited about the opportunity to build on this community's strong foundation to strengthen staff, deepen community partnerships, and ensure every animal we help receives the best possible care and opportunities to find a loving home."

In addition to his government roles, Adair has provided private consulting and training services for over 14 years to government and nonprofit agencies across four states related to animal cruelty investigations and animal services management. 

Adair previously directed operations in Florida at the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit animal welfare organizations, and served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as the Lead Supervisor for the Animal Care and Control Bureau. He began his animal services career with the Gaston County Police Department as a sworn officer assigned to the Animal Control Division.  

Adair served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard for six years. He holds Shelter Management Certification from the University of the Pacific. 

The Athens-Clarke County Animal Services Department protects the public from at-large, dangerous, sick, or seriously injured animals; protects animals from inhumane and cruel treatment; operates the Animal Shelter for adoption, fostering, and reclaiming of impounded and surrendered dogs, cats, and other domestic animals; enforces local animal services ordinances; and provides public education on a variety of topics related to animals. 

For more information on the Animal Services Department, visit www.accgov.com/animalservices.