The City of Oxford is excited to announce the establishment of the Oxford Animal Resource Center. City leaders are committed to creating a first-class Animal Resource Center, decreasing the number of pets entering the facility by helping pets stay in their loving homes and finding better alternatives to intake so euthanasia will not be used as population control. Finite resources will be used strategically and we will work smarter, not harder.
The City of Oxford and Lafayette County partnered to hire leading expert in shelter reform Dr. Sara Pizano to guide the process.
“Historically, the shelter system has been designed around the assumption that admitting animals to a facility is the only avenue to assist pet owners. We now know there is great potential to intercede and overcome this intake bias. I am working alongside city and county leaders, as well as the ARC Director Nicole Young, to create a proactive strategic system of community programs that will drastically decrease the number of pets entering a shelter and therefore at risk of euthanasia. This redirects the scope of work for staff from reactive crisis mode to proactive perspective, thus reducing the risk of compassion fatigue and waste of existing resources. It also provides an excellent opportunity for collaborative public-private partnerships,” Pizano explains.
Nicole Young has been selected to serve as the Director of the Oxford Animal Resource Center. Young has served for the past three years managing the Customer Care Specialists at Memphis Animal Services. Prior to joining Memphis Animal Services, Young served as Lead Nurse at an Animal Emergency Center where she provided Veterinary Technology assistance.
Mayor Robyn Tannehill said, “When we met Nicole, we immediately knew we had found the team member we were searching for. Her knowledge and experience both as a Vet Tech and Supervisor with Memphis Animal Services will be a great asset as we establish and open the new ARC.”
Young will begin May 17, 2021.
Young stated, “I am really excited about the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Pizano and community leaders in establishing the Oxford Animal Resource Center. This facility has so many possibilities to serve both the animals and people of the community. I am ready to get started and look forward to meeting citizens and getting them plugged in.”
