BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — A new shelter has just opened at the current Baldwin County Animal Shelter in Summerdale after being under construction since 2021.

Cats and dogs are making themselves at home in the new and improved Baldwin County animal shelter. The new facility has 14 extra kennels compared to the last building, which allows more animal intake.

Shelter manager George Majors said there are lots of new features the old shelter did not have.

“They did do a lot of new inventions as each area we have is separated by filtration systems,” Majors said. “They have their own AC units so we can quarantine animals that are sick as where our old facility was just one big open room, so everyone got sick.”

The $4.7 million facility is built with concrete reinforced walls and other useful features for when severe weather strikes.

“We have an onsite generator now for the whole building,” Majors said. “Again, that helps with hurricanes and power outages.”

Majors said they are now able to focus on the wellbeing of the animals that are brought in every day.