MARION —Tuesday was a joyous day for Rocky Rockette, as the new Lauderdale County Animal Control Shelter finally opened its doors.

While addressing a crowd of officials and community members, Rockette, the shelter’s director, started to tear up.

An audience member shouted, “We love you, Rocky!”

After the ribbon cutting, Rockette said that a lot of time and effort went into opening the shelter.

“This has been a long time coming,” he said. “I am very excited.”

Until now, Lauderdale County and the City of Meridian shared a shelter on Cooper Avenue in Meridian. The new shelter means the county now has its own space.

Lauderdale County Supervisor Kyle Rutledge said the board of supervisors has wanted the county to have its own shelter for several years, so the county and the Town of Marion decided to partner on the project.

Marion Mayor Elvis Hudson suggested building the shelter on a plot of land behind town hall, which is where it was ultimately built. Workers recently completed the nearly 5,000 square foot grey building, which sits on a road called Rocky Lane, which is named after the shelter’s director.

At the ribbon cutting, Rockette thanked his wife and daughters, elected officials, and most importantly, Jesus.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for allowing this to happen,” he said. “We give him all the praise.”

Rockette took The Meridian Star on a tour of the facility. One area contains dog kennels, while another area is comprised of cat cages. The facility also has a laundry room and a plethora of towels, which staff use to wipe down walls or do other cleaning.

“We pride ourselves on being a clean facility,” Rockette said. “Being a clean facility cuts down on disease.”

Rockette also showed off the shelter’s stainless steel grooming tub, which was donated by an animal rescue in Massachusetts called Sweet Paws Rescue.

 The organization partners with the Lauderdale County Animal Control Shelter, which allows families in the Northeast to adopt dogs from Mississippi.

Amy Wilson, a volunteer at the new shelter, said she is “so happy” for Lauderdale County Animal Control.

“They’ll be able to do more, I feel like, in their own building, in their own space,” she said. “And I know that they’re just happy.”