Marion County Animal Services Receives $50,000 Donation

OCALA, FL – Marion County recently received a $50,000 donation from the Suzanne K. Longfellow Trust to benefit the county’s Animal Center.
 
“We are extremely grateful for Ms. Longfellow’s generosity,” said Marion County Animal Services Director James Sweet.
 
Sweet said it’s certainly unusual for his department to receive a donation of this size. “A large private shelter might see something like this every other month or so. But it hardly ever happens for government facilities.”
 
Marion County plans to put the $50,000 in Animal Services’ standard Shelter Donation Fund, and will use the funding in tandem with Penny Sales Tax funds for Animal Center upgrades.
 
Animal Services will use a portion of One Cent Public Safety and Infrastructure Sales Surtax funding to modernize and upgrade the Animal Center, including capacity upgrades and a high-volume spay and neuter clinic.
 
Sweet said the additional $50,000 will help fill in the gaps as those major renovations are completed. These upgrades will also serve to support the Animal Center’s no-kill initiative.
 
Marion County Animal Services operates an Animal Center that serves as a temporary shelter for homeless pets and provides services such as microchips, low-cost spay and neuter services and pet licenses for Marion County residents. The department also provides animal control services, enforcing animal-related state laws and county ordinances to ensure public safety in Marion County.
 
For more information, visit AnimalServices.MarionFL.org.