MARION — Leaders from Lauderdale County and Marion and other guests broke ground on the new Lauderdale County animal control center behind Marion Town Hall Thursday. 

The Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to formalize a contract with Cooper Concrete Construction, LLC for construction of the new center.

Rocky Rockette, the county’s animal control director, said the current center on Cooper Avenue has taken in 3,000 to 4,000 animals in previous years and is trying to lower its euthanasia rate.

“We’re going to have more added space, additional space where we can house animals, where we can quarantine, check to make sure they’re healthy before we actually put them up for adoption,” he said. “We want to have areas where people can kind of go on a personal level, get one-on-one with the animal and see if that’s going to be the right fit for the family.”

Unlike the current facility, which is used by both the city of Meridian and Lauderdale County, the new center will be a county space, Rockette said.

Marion Mayor Elvis Hudson said construction should begin next month, weather permitting, and could be completed by June. 

“As many kids as I have running around in the Town of Marion, that will give them something else to do, come down, visit the animal shelter, get used to pets, knowing how to take care of them, how to feel about them, maybe they may change their career into going into animal care,” he said. 

County Administrator Chris Lafferty said the project has been in the works for a while. 

“We’ve been working on this day for about two, two and a half years, just going through it and making sure that we provide Rocky the resources to be successful for Lauderdale County,” he said.