The potential location of a new animal services center is a big source of tension in Marion County.The proposal in concern. A permit for Marion County officials to build and relocate their Animal Services Center to 137 acres in Citra on an old horse farm.The signs planted along West County Road 316 in Citra echo what many neighbors feel. That’s why dozens showed up in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday to share their thoughts at a commission meeting. Some neighbors begged for no dog kennels near them.”I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Yeah, they can move all the animal control services up to there, and there’s going to be 400 dogs.’ And even here, which is a mile away, approximately. The noise is going to be horrific,” neighbor Peter Atkins said.Others say that it’s needed.”The current shelter just is not sufficient for the number of animals that are here in Marion County today,” Kathy Leinert-Whitehead with the county said. The county says it would allow them to expand the facility to increase capacity for all animal types within the shelter—specifically, their kennel capacity from 213 to 400 dogs.The county says the kennel will be centrally located, while other buildings will house people–one for animal control staff members and the other for full-time staff for after-hour operations. But many worry this peaceful area will soon get loud and crowded. “One of the reasons we come here, live side by side horse people, is because of the quiet,” neighbor Kim Benson said. “No one’s going to drive from southern Marion County or The Villages up to north Marion County. So unless they’re to adopt a dog, they need to be spread out over the whole county as they are now,” Atkins said. “I have been appalled at the treatment of animals here in Marion County for the size of Marion County,” Whitehead said. “There is absolutely no real resources for the animals that are constantly being dumped, that roam as strays that are injured.”Tuesday was the first read of the permit application, but further hearings may be required to finalize what will happen to the property.Top headlines: Listen to news and weather headlines with the WESH 2 podcast National Hurricane Center tracking 2 tropical disturbances in AtlanticDeputies: Man shot, killed by neighbor in Volusia County
The potential location of a new animal services center is a big source of tension in Marion County.
The proposal in concern. A permit for Marion County officials to build and relocate their Animal Services Center to 137 acres in Citra on an old horse farm.
The signs planted along West County Road 316 in Citra echo what many neighbors feel.
That’s why dozens showed up in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday to share their thoughts at a commission meeting. Some neighbors begged for no dog kennels near them.
“I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Yeah, they can move all the animal control services up to there, and there’s going to be 400 dogs.’ And even here, which is a mile away, approximately. The noise is going to be horrific,” neighbor Peter Atkins said.
Others say that it’s needed.
“The current shelter just is not sufficient for the number of animals that are here in Marion County today,” Kathy Leinert-Whitehead with the county said.
The county says it would allow them to expand the facility to increase capacity for all animal types within the shelter—specifically, their kennel capacity from 213 to 400 dogs.
The county says the kennel will be centrally located, while other buildings will house people–one for animal control staff members and the other for full-time staff for after-hour operations. But many worry this peaceful area will soon get loud and crowded.
“One of the reasons we come here, live side by side horse people, is because of the quiet,” neighbor Kim Benson said.
“No one’s going to drive from southern Marion County or The Villages up to north Marion County. So unless they’re to adopt a dog, they need to be spread out over the whole county as they are now,” Atkins said.
“I have been appalled at the treatment of animals here in Marion County for the size of Marion County,” Whitehead said. “There is absolutely no real resources for the animals that are constantly being dumped, that roam as strays that are injured.”
Tuesday was the first read of the permit application, but further hearings may be required to finalize what will happen to the property.
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