The Selma Animal Shelter stands ready to help people adopt a dog or cat or assist with other animal needs.

Funded through donations and city government, the Selma Animal Shelter falls under the Selma Police Department and is tasked with many responsibilities.

According to Selma Mayor George Evans, there are usually four people on staff to work at the shelter alongside several volunteers.

“The city provides for their maintenance upkeep and actually pay for the salaries of the people that work there,” Evans said. “Different organizations contribute funding to help manage the shelter, but the city government had the responsibility of maintaining the building and giving all the equipment and supplies and stuff like that.”

Although month-to-month the number of dogs and cats brought into the shelter varies, Selma Animal Shelter Director Nora Curtin said in March a total of 113 dogs and 31 cats were brought in or picked up by animal control officers.

“By law, [the shelter] has to provide a place for people to bring animals they no longer want. They have to provide a place for stray animals to be taken,” said Lynn Sanders, vice-president of the Humane Society of Central Alabama and a volunteer at the Animal Shelter.

“They have been trying to offer adoptions, [but] they have struggles with that. So what we’re doing as the Humane Society of Central Alabama, is we’re going to take over the adoptable animal side of that.”

Now that the Humane Society is in control of pet adoptions, they are taking action to make sure people adopting them are getting the healthiest animals they can.

“We will offer fully vetted dogs. They will already be spayed, neutered, up to date on their shots including their rabies shot. They’ll be heartworm negative, and they’ll be on preventatives,” Sanders said.

The dogs at the shelter will cost $100 and cats are $50. Shannon Lynch with Selma Perfect Pals is in charge of the cats and is working to provide fully vetted felines as well.

The shelter is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and will now be open the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to give people an extra opportunity to adopt a furry friend.

“Our mission is to adopt out to the public fully vetted, healthy, well-adjusted dogs from the Selma Animal Shelter,” said Kaye Knight president of the Humane Society of Central Alabama. “We’re going to try to keep 10 dogs on adoption row and they will be fully vetted.”

Evans said the shelter is a much needed facility in Selma and he hopes to continue to improve the quality of life for all of the animals that go through.

“It’s important because the animals have to live too. The dogs and cats, they all have to live. They make a lot of people happy, they’re good partners and friends of people,” Evans said. “I think they have a vital part [in someone’s life] and they’re important because they do so much to help the quality of life of people.”

The shelter and the Humane Society are always in need of donations to help take care of the animals and the facility. Sanders said donations can be made payable to Humane Society of Central Alabama to P.O. Box 511, Selma, AL 36702.

“If somebody wanted to send money that was strictly towards cats, they can note that on their donation. If they want to send it straight to the adoptable dogs they could note that on their donation or if they didn’t have a preference, we’ll just use it where ever the need is at.”

Anyone wanting to volunteer, donate or see about adopting an animal can contact Sanders at (334) 431-0476 or visit the shelter located at 206 Medical Center Parkway in Selma.