Mayor Stimpson announces administrative changes at City of Mobile Animal Shelter
Sep 10th, 2021
Posted in: Animal Shelter
- September 9, 2021-
Mayor Stimpson announces administrative changes at City of Mobile Animal Shelter
Mobile, Ala. - Today Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced a restructuring of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter’s leadership. As of September 8, 2021, the shelter will no longer be managed by the Mobile Police Department and will instead be overseen by Executive Director of Administrative Services, Joe Snowden.
Over the last two years, the shelter has faced several challenges including increased demand for animal control services and manpower shortages due to COVID-19.
“Community confidence is an important part of our success at the animal shelter, and this is an opportunity to repair that confidence while improving operations and services,” Stimpson said. “While MPD has made important progress at the shelter, this move will streamline the chain of command and allow us to put a greater focus on swiftly executing a plan to address these current challenges.”
In addition to a change in department oversight, Mayor Stimpson has accepted the shelter director’s resignation and engaged a team of local and regional experts in the areas of adoption, enforcement, management, and shelter medicine to provide guidance through the new structure and transition.
Joe Snowden is a direct report to the mayor and will personally oversee the selection process for a new director and additional personnel needs. Moving the shelter under Snowden’s purview will allow the mayor to have a more direct role in achieving his goals for the City of Mobile Animal Shelter.
“I am looking forward to working with the professional team of shelter employees, partners like the Mobile City Council’s Citizens Advisory Committee and other community experts to fully evaluate the facility’s operations and implement a new plan that will ensure the highest level of service to the animals and citizens of Mobile,” Snowden said.
As the team moves forward with a comprehensive review and a new operational plan, they will also be evaluating infrastructure needs and best uses for the $130,000 allocated in the FY2022 capital budget for immediate upgrades at the animal shelter, pending approval of the Mobile City Council.