CHILLICOTHE — After years of fundraising and hard work, the Ross County Humane Society is celebrating the grand opening of its brand-new animal shelter.
The new facility gives the organization separate office areas, multiple wings for housing dogs, a surgery suite and more space for both animals and the staff who care for them. Leaders say the improvements have already made daily life easier for the dogs in their care and the people who look after them.
Executive Director Jenn Thomas has explained that the separate wings help with noise control, which keeps dogs calmer during their stay. The design also helps reduce the risk of diseases spreading between animals — a major priority for a shelter that takes in thousands of dogs each year.
While the building has been in use throughout the summer, staff and board members recently gathered to mark the official completion of the project after years of planning and construction.
The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce joined the celebration, bringing along its oversized ceremonial scissors for a ribbon cutting. Chamber President and CEO Mike Throne, who adopted a dog from the humane society himself, encouraged anyone looking to add a dog to their household to visit the shelter first.
The organization says the health and well-being of every animal remains its top priority as it settles into the new space.
