I interviewed Mr. Billy Mayfield (Operations Manager) at Cobb County Animal Control.
How long have you been working here?
20 years.
Do you have any pets?
At the moment 2 dogs. A Chihuahua mix and a Border Collie mix.
What is your favorite dog breed?
Border Collie.
What did you want to do when you were growing up?
School teacher.
What is the best part about running a shelter?
Educating people to become better pet owners. The more we can educate the better chance to give animals a chance at a forever home. Pet owners generally live longer and have less anxiety. I love to be able to open peoples’ minds to explain how animals impact homes positively. My goal is to educate, reduce strays and create a better society.
What is the worst part about running a shelter?
Seeing people surrender their animals.
Has there been more strays or owner surrenders coming in?
More strays.
How many lost dogs and cats come in and the owner finds them?
About 75% of strays are returned to their owners. Micro-chipping has helped a lot in this regard.
What can I do to help you?
What you are doing is helping. Involving kids your age in shelter awareness is important. Often kids learn better from kids of their own age.
Are you making any big changes?
We are wanting to get a bigger sign. We also want to revamp our dog runs – make more of them and make them bigger.
How do you make money?
County taxes. Donations are used solely for the benefit of the animals.
If you didn’t run a shelter what would you do?
Teach.
What advice to you have for me?
I hope that you continue to do what you are doing as you get older. We need young advocates to build on the progress we are currently making.
How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?
46 active volunteers are in the shelter on a daily basis. We have up to 100 that will help at events and come in as needed. They walk the dogs, play with the cats, groom the animals and help with photography and social media. Some also help the staff with cleaning.
What do you think people should know about your shelter?
It has improved a lot over the years. We do what we can to create a healthy and clean environment for the animals. We want to create a place for someone to come in and find their forever companion. We strive hard to place animals in homes and in foster homes. We also try to match animals with prospective families by asking questions and educating people about the particular animal they are interested in adopting.