The Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Unit will be under the management of the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services effective April 1. The Gwinnett County Police Department has run the animal shelter and enforcement program since 1993. The new organizational structure has been planned for several months and is expected to leverage the community services department’s extensive volunteer resource infrastructure while allowing the police department to sharpen the focus on its already nationally recognized crime prevention and law enforcement services.

“The Gwinnett County Police Department has done a remarkable job of improving the shelter over the past several years,” said County Administrator Glenn Stephens, “Animal saves are up and euthanasia rates are at historic lows. I’m confident that our Department of Community Services will continue to build on that success.”

The Animal Welfare and Enforcement Unit’s recent improvements can be attributed in large part to partnerships forged by the Police Department with a dedicated corps of well-trained volunteers.

“Working with large numbers of volunteers and nonprofits aligns well with the Department of Community Services’ business models for providing services,” Stephens added.

“The high-quality services and programs provided countywide by the Department of Community Services are a result of the many volunteers and community organizations that partner with us, so it will be a natural transition to coordinate animal welfare services with the staff, volunteers and community groups in Gwinnett,” said Community Services Director Tina Fleming. “We look forward to continuing the great work police has done to support animal welfare in the county.”

Customers are not likely to see any immediate changes due to the new organizational structure. The shelter’s management team and staff will not change. County ordinances will be amended to reflect the organizational changes.

The Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville and the kennel is open from 11:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Thursday and 11:00am to 4:00pm Friday and Saturday. Information about animals available for adoption can be found on the Gwinnett Animal Shelter Facebook page and www.gwinnettanimalcontrol.com.