One Woman Show at Lanier County Animal Shelter

Lanier County Animal Control & Shelter was started in 2022. Prior to that, there were no real animal services in the county. Jessica took the job at the shelter when it opened and has been the ACO/director/kennel tech and sole employee.

I asked, “When do you have a day off?” and she asked, “What’s a day off?” When she had the flu, she still dragged herself to the shelter. “The dogs had to eat.”

There are 18 kennels on a concrete slab where the fire department used to stand. She manages to insulate the kennels against the cold in the winter using a combination of plastic wraps, blankets, bungee cords and heat lamps. It gets toasty in there. After Easter, she unwraps the kennels and plug in the fans.

When we visited in early March 2025, there were 12 dogs – all highly adoptable: Five or six labs (all colors), an Airedale mix, an adorable puppy with four white paws, a Walker coonhound, and several others. Jessica tries to find local adopters and is able to get some rescue help, but mostly for small dogs.

Nala is the longest resident, and she’s been at the shelter for 330 days. She is a beautiful dog who is people and dog friendly, walks well on a leash, and is basically just a nice pup, the kind that would easily find a home in the north.

There is a local transporter who will transport any of the dogs, pretty much anywhere, for free. So, if you’re a shelter or rescue (or adopter) who would like to pull one or more of these dogs, please message us and we’ll put you in touch with Jessica.

The shelter’s play yard was torn down by the storm last October, and Jessica is waiting for the insurance payment so they can replace it and remove the trees beside the shelter that are still leaning. Meanwhile, she walks dogs and has a trolley line set up for the dogs who are housebroken to use.

Jessica was a vet tech for 22 years, so she knows how to expertly care for the dogs. She has a great partner in Dr. Thomas Griner at Landmark Vet Services in Savannah. He comes up once a month with a mobile unit to perform spay/neuter surgery and provide veterinary care for the shelter dogs and any community dogs who need vet services.

Last year, LCAS had 332 dogs and in 2023 they had 252. The shelter is an open-intake shelter, taking in dogs she picks up as ACO, and owner surrendered dogs and puppies. She only euthanizes for behavior issues. Many medical issues she can treat with phone advice from Dr. Grinder.

Jessica always offers any extra donated food and supplies to residents who need it, acting as an unofficial pet pantry and helping to keep pets in their homes.

The community has been pretty good at helping when she needs it. The Lakeland United Methodist Church Georgia was running a hot dog fundraiser during March and using the proceeds to shop the shelter’s Amazon wishlist. Like most municipal shelters, supplies are better than donated funds, as funds go into the county treasury and don’t necessarily get directed to the shelter.

Besides rescue help, what Jessica could really use, though, is a reliable volunteer or two. People who can take over a little of the cleaning and care on occasion, to give her a break. She’s doing a wonderful job with the dogs and the small space she has, but any shelter that is dependent on a single employee is vulnerable. The county is blessed to have such a committed, calm, multi-tasker making sure their animals get excellent care and every chance at a forever home.

If you’d like to support the work Jessica does, consider shopping the shelter’s Amazon Wishlist or Walmart wishlist.

Many of the shelters we visit in rural areas depend on a single employee. In these situations, volunteers are vital. Without them, the employee is likely to burn out quickly. And without them, the animals get only minimal care. One person can only do so much. More than that, animals need human contact, it’s critical for their emotional and physical health. Adoptability breaks down quickly without it.

In this economy, maybe it’s unrealistic to expect a tiny rural county to hire more than one employee for the shelter, but it’s not unrealistic to invite the community to come help. Here’s hoping they will.

Until each one has a home,

Cara

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Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues was published in January of 2025. It is filled with stories and ideas to help everyone be part of the solution. You can buy a hardback or paperback copy for yourself and/or buy a copy for a shelter or rescue through our website. It is also available on Amazon in paperback and ebook. We are looking for opportunities to share a presentation of the ideas in the book and facilitate conversations about how we can work together to find solutions for our shelters. If you have a dog-hearted group that would like to connect, contact Cara@wwldo.org.

To see our Emmy-nominated, award-winning short documentary, Amber’s Halfway Home, click here.

Did you know we have a podcast? I’m working at getting regular episodes up, including the audio version of the new book (narrated with additional info), and interviews with shelter heroes we meet. Find the podcast on Spotify and other podcast services.

For more information on any of our projects, to talk about rescue in your neck of the woods, or partner with us, please email cara@WWLDO.org.

And for links to everything WWLDO, including volunteer application, wishlists, and donation options, check out our Linktree.