RIPLEY – The effort to establish an animal shelter in Tippah County continues, and a spokeswoman gave an update to the Board of Supervisors during its regular work session on Friday.

Evie Murray said a public meeting held in September for interested individuals drew more than 150 people, and from that group a board of directors has been formed to continue with planning.

“I get calls every day from people out there who need help,” she said. “There are strays all over the place and people are bombarded.”

Murray asked the supervisors to support Animal Rescue of Tippah County as they move forward.

Though she didn’t ask for anything specific at this time, Murray told supervisors she would return to the November meeting with details for the board’s discussions of what they need to do next.

A facility and funding are primary needs, Murray said in a later interview. Some donations already have come in, including a $500 donation from a Memphis, Tenn., resident, thanks to word spreading of the rescue.

Individuals in the community who are volunteering their service on the board include a veterinarian, a dog trainer, a dog groomer and other individuals with a sincere desire to see fewer animals running loose and fending for themselves.

The list includes Murray’s

son, Ripley attorney Joe

Murray.

“Right now our animals

just run until they’re diseased,

die or get hit by a

car,” she said.

Though she has heard

discouraging words from

some quarters in the community,

Murray is not deterred.

“I know there was a

shelter before and it didn’t

work, but we can do

something that will work,”

she said. “I get about three

calls a day about strays;

people don’t know what to

do. Right now Tupelo is

the only place that will

take animals from Tippah

County, and that’s if they

have room. Our priority

now is to raise money, so

we’ll be holding fundraisers

going toward Christmas,

like pet photos with

Santa, and other things.”

lena.mitchell@journalinc.com