On the record ... with Roberta Shoaf

Officials from the DeKalb County Animal Shelter have been helping to find homes for cats and dogs during the past 35 years.

The shelter, located at 16173 Baseline Road, in rural Genoa, offers several amenities for stray cats and dogs in DeKalb County. The shelter currently houses about 90 cats and 35 dogs, and each animal is spayed or neutered before being adopted.

The DeKalb County Animal Shelter includes three full-time employees and six part-time workers, as well as several volunteers. Roberta Shoaf has worked at the shelter for 17 years, serving as director for the past six years.

An open house/ice cream social was conducted at the shelter on June 6 to honor the facility's 35th anniversary. Shoaf recently went on the record with MidWeek reporter Dennis Hines to talk about the shelter's anniversary and what it has been like working at the facility during the past 17 years.




MidWeek: How does it feel to be honoring the animal shelter's 35th anniversary?

Roberta Shoaf: It feels great. We have been here a long time, and we've seen a lot of animals come and go over the years. We've placed a lot of animals in homes, and that's always a positive thing.

MW: Explain some of the services that you offer here at the shelter for the animals.

RS: Our mission is to find homes for stray and abandoned animals, dogs and cats particularly, and that's what we do.

MW: Talk about why some of the animals are brought to the shelter.

RS: We get animals from a lot of causes. Abandonment is certainly one of them. We get strays that the county picks up. We get a lot of owner surrenders, where people can't keep their animal for one reason or another. Each animal comes from a different place and has a different story.

MW: How can someone go about adopting an animal here at the shelter?

RS: They need to come in and see if we have any available animal that fits what they're looking for and meets their requirements as far as an adoptable pet. We try to match owners with pets so that it is a successful adoption.

MW: Are you pleased with the support that the shelter has received during the past 35 years as far as donations?

RS: It has been pretty phenomenal. We have a wonderful community. Businesses, organizations and individuals are all very supportive of our efforts.

MW: What are some items that the shelter is in need of most?

RS: Canned cat food is something that we seem to be low on these days. Cat litter is always a need for us. We tend to get plenty of dog food for donations. So right now, cat food is a bigger need for us.

MW: What are some of the things that the volunteers do here? What are some of their responsibilities?

RS: Mostly walking dogs and taking them out to the yard and play. We have some people that do grooming for us. We have people who come in and pet cats or clip toenails for us. Generally, most people like to watch dogs for us.

MW: What have you liked about working at the shelter?

RS: It's very rewarding finding homes for animals that are homeless.