Build a Shelter for Homeless Animals like Bailey

We are saddened to report that Dixie Adoptables’ “big news" from our last update has been postponed. To say we are devastated is an understatement. The city informed us that for financial reasons, they would have to delay construction of the new building. We have been told that they will revisit the discussion in October of this year. This means that the kennels that we purchased for the new building which would be much better for our animals will have to stay in storage for now. 

We need your support now more than ever. Although the city has postponed the new building, if enough money can be raised, Dixie Adoptables still has the option of purchasing or building something ourselves and not having to wait on the political whims of the city government that we work with. We know it will take a lot of money to make this happen but with your help, we have already been able to do much more than we ever thought possible. Two years ago the idea of a wholly independent animal transport seemed beyond our reach, yet we were able to get Dixie Express up and running to save hundreds of animals’ lives by transporting them to the northeastern United States. If we have learned anything, it is that with hard work and the help of our supporters, we can do the impossible and save lives despite setbacks. 

The last few months have been a trying time for our organization. The news of our building being put on hold was only one of the many trials that we have faced. This month we were robbed in the middle of the night and our safe was stolen. The thief climbed through a kennel that housed puppies and broke down a door to get into our office where the safe was located. He only got our petty cash since we never keep other money on the premises, but it created a mess for our hard-working team. We had a door destroyed and bank account information was compromised which required that we close the old accounts and create new ones. This delayed payroll and caused a lot of extra work for our staff. 

Because of this we were reminded of just how vulnerable the animals and employees are in a building that can’t be properly secured. Unfortunately, because our facility is located directly beside railroad tracks, it is impossible to secure it with fencing. Anyone can walk in down the tracks and gain access to the facility. We lock the kennels, but this doesn’t prevent someone from climbing over the gates. The thief wore a mask and gloves so we were unable to learn his identity. 

We also had an electrical fire in the shelter office which was caused by the antiquated wiring in the old shelter building. Fortunately it was during the day and our shelter manager noticed the fire soon after it started and shut down power to the building, likely saving the lives of our animals. 

In times like these, we are especially thankful for all of our supporters who make it possible for us to keep giving our very best for the animals and to keep working towards the goal of providing them with a safe, sanitary facility despite our inability to properly secure it and the challenges we face with unsafe wiring. Please continue to support us in our effort to build a new, safe, secure facility for the needy animals in the community!