The Greater Birmingham Humane Society today was awarded a one-year-contract for animal control in Jefferson County.

The vote by the Jefferson County Commission was unanimous with no discussion. Commissioner George Bowman made the motion. Allison Black Cornelius, interim executive manager at GBHS, said she understands the contract starts Jan. 1 and will include the city of Birmingham.

Cornelius said a one-year contract is better than the current month-to-month contract under which BJC Animal Control has operated for the past seven years.

"It was a great Christmas gift, to have a continuation of services for homeless, abused and neglected pets," Cornelius said. "I'm really thankful for Alabama Shelter Veterinarians. His practice just doubled."

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The newly opened Alabama Shelter Veterinarians in Hoover is owned by Dr. Brandon Cash, former veterinarian for GBHS. Cash cares for the animals from GBHS and will be the veterinarian for animal control as well. Next spring, a partnership with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University will lead to fourth-year veterinary students also helping care for animals on a rotating basis at Alabama Shelter Veterinarians, under Cash's supervision.

The executive staff of Greater Birmingham Humane Society outside the Jefferson County Commission chambers following the commission's decision to award GBHS the animal services contract for the county. (Joey Kennedy/jkennedy@al.com)

The entire executive team from GBHS was at today's County Commission meeting, along with GBHS board chair David Young and immediate past chair Lucy Thompson Marsh.

GBHS has been planning to bid for the animal control contract for months. The shelter submitted a proposal to the city of Birmingham earlier but received no response. Then, the county opened animal control services for bid. The for-profit BJC Animal Control and nonprofit GBHS submitted bids for the contract, which GBHS won today.

Cornelius said she couldn't say exactly how much the contract will pay, considering bidders had to submit bids for each service to be performed.

"That depends on the volume of animals," Cornelius said. She estimated about $700,000 for the year, but emphasized that was just a guess.

"The good news," Cornelius said, "is that y'all will know every month."

Cornelius said GBHS will be completely transparent, producing monthly reports not only on finances, but also on euthanasia rates. Cornelius predicted euthanasia rates for healthy, adoptable animals will drop.

Current euthanasia rates at BJC Animal Control, a private company, are not released, but some insiders there have said it is as high as 90 percent.

"I'm ready to jump in," said Cash. "We have a really nice kennel facility, and we're going to be doing quite a few transports." GBHS has regularly transported adoptable animals to shelters in the north so they wouldn't have to be put down. Plans call for an increase in those transports.

GBHS will be hiring animal control officers and other workers to provide animal services for the county.

One point Cornelius emphasized in hiring employees: "They have to treat people as well as we want them to treat the animals," she said.

GBHS' long-term plans include building a multi-purpose adoption center on Birmingham's Southside. With GBHS' partnership with Auburn University, the Alabama Shelter Veterinarians and now gaining the animal control contract, the animal welfare outcomes in Jefferson County could dramatically change for the better.