The Guilford County Animal Shelter is waiving adoption fees this month, in hopes of finding homes for all the 400 cats and dogs in its facility.
The state forced the county to take over the shelter in 2015 after the previous operator was cited for animal abuse. The shelter's director quit last month after being fined for similar reasons.
Deputy County Manager Clarence Grier, who is now serving as interim director, said the county is trying to get the animal shelter back on track.
“We're trying to make sure that we address the problem of animal welfare within the community and then try and find homes for all the animals that come through our doors,” Grier said.
Grier also asks that the public be patient with the county as it attempts to come back from a period of animal abuse citations and high turnover among staff.
“We've only been in the animal shelter business at the county level for two years,” he said. “And, yes, we had some bumps in the road... But we're moving in the right direction.”
Grier said the county is in the process of building a new shelter, and hopes to have a new permanent director in place by October.
Cats and dogs that are adopted will be ready with a microchip and necessary vaccines.