Groundbreaking for new Olive Branch Animal Shelter

Photo: Mayor Ken Adams and six city aldermen break ground to signify the start of construction for a new Olive Branch Animal Shelter. (Credit City of Olive Branch.)

In the next year there will be a place for dogs, cats, and other animals in Olive Branch needing a new forever home with the city’s construction of a new animal shelter. Groundbreaking for the shelter, expected to be completed in the fall of 2026, was held Friday afternoon.  

The current shelter is located at 7100 Stateline Road and has been there since sometime in the 1990s, according to Mayor Ken Adams.  The new location will be at the corner of Polk Lane and Silo Road, south of Highway 302.  

City officials say the search for a new animal shelter has been about three years in the making. Crowded conditions and lack of a functioning HVAC system are among the reasons the city felt it was time to look for a home location. 

“It’ll be more than a building,” Adams said. “It’ll be a sanctuary and it will help drive our mission to provide a safe haven where animals can heal, thrive and find their forever homes.”  

The total cost of the new shelter will be about $2.93 million, money that covered the shelter and a new fire station.  

When it is completed, Adams said the shelter will have space for 41 large dogs, 24 small dogs, and 32 felines in cat holding areas.  The new facility will total 6,652 square feet.

The Animal Shelter is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday morning until 11 a.m.  

The Animal Shelter and Animal Control is overseen by the Olive Branch Police Department. To view all animals that are available for adoption, please visit the Animal Shelter’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/obanimal.