Officials take final walkthrough of new Unicoi Co. Animal Shelter

Local officials toured the nearly completed Unicoi County Animal Shelter Tuesday during a final construction walkthrough. Regional leaders, animal welfare board members and shelter staff gathered Tuesday, Jan. 13 to tour the nearly completed building, joined by the project manager and owner of Eaton Construction Services, the company that built the shelter followed flooding from Tropical Storm Helene in September of 2024. The walkthrough capped a 90-day construction timeline put in place in Helene, which destroyed the former shelter and forced operations to scale back to emergency-only services while officials reviewed bids and designs for a replacement. "This is the 90th day, and they completed it the day before, on the 89th day, if you don't include holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas," said Animal Welfare Board member Charles Day. "This man did exactly what he said he would do. He delivered a premium product for us within budget and on time." Board members said the final bid for the project came in under $1 million. Construction is now complete with the exception of kennel doors, which will be custom-sized for the new kennels. Chris Oetjen, chairwoman of the Unicoi Animal Welfare Board, said the project was only possible through cooperation across the community. "This was our first time going through a flood like this," Oetjen said, adding she was thankful for the support during an uncertain period spent navigating paperwork and determining the best path forward. Oetjen said the remaining kennel doors are expected to arrive by the end of March. "The kennel doors are specially made," she said. "They will be installed by Greater Good by the end of March. It's coming, but it takes a while to get customized, and we're in the line." She said the new facility represents a significant improvement over the previous shelter, both for staff and for the animals. "We think this is a huge improvement," Oetjen said. "We have cut out an open space so when people walk by there will be less commotion from the dogs because they don't see people walking by. It's a well lit and calm environment. Hopefully it will have some impact on the animals too. It's so much better than what we had before." During the walkthrough, Oetjen guided officials through the building, pointing out new features designed to improve animal care and daily operations. "This is a dog wash station," she said. "We have an automatic riser to help lift dogs to go into the wash station. That will be really helpful because we have animals that come in not great conditions." The shelter also includes a grooming area and a planned surgery space. "The surgery area was changed and added at the last minute," Oetjen said. "Eaton Construction has really been helpful in dealing with these last-minute changes. These things are still in the process, but they are coming." "We're working on getting the dollars to equip the surgical room," Oetjen said. "We estimate it will take about $50,000 to $70,000. Mollie Haren, (the shelter director,) has also applied to some grants that we're waiting to hear back from. We hope to have it up in three weeks." Once completed, the surgery area will allow animals to be spayed and neutered on site and treated for minor medical issues, with hopes of expanding services to the community in the future. She said an intake room and isolation room are located toward the back of the building to keep incoming animals separate from the adoption area. Day added that fencing and gates will be installed to complete the outdoor areas around the shelter. "Now, we'll work on the furnishings, vet equipment and work on the outside," Oetjen said. She said the shelter expects to hold a grand opening in the coming months. "We want to get everything ready to go," Oetjen said, noting it would be potentially two months before the grand opening. Officials praised the efforts of the board and construction crews during the project. "Charles stayed down here and made sure it was all on schedule. He's not just on the board, he's on the job," Unicoi Mayor Kevin McInturff said. "It's beautiful. You'e got something here that people, now, when you ask for support, they can see what they're supporting." Oetjen said the shelter continues to rely on donations, grants and fundraisers, with additional fundraisers planned. One upcoming fundraiser ends Feb. 14. The Unicoi Animal Shelter will write a participant's ex partner's name on a cat litter pan for a donation in honor of Valentine's Day. The shelter remains closed to the public until the grand opening, though staff are continuing limited adoptions and rescue work. Shelter Director Mollie Haren said phones remain staffed, animals are still being posted online and meet-and-greets are being scheduled by appointment. More information and updates are available on the Unicoi County Animal Shelter's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UnicoiCountyAnimalShelter/.