WINNSBORO – It was a defining moment last week for former Fairfield County Animal Shelter Director Bob Innes as he posed for a photo accepting a $10,000 donation from former County Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas. The donation will go toward providing a low-cost vet clinic for dogs and cats.
“This is fantastic,” Innes said, clearly awed by the check. “This generous donation is a major step in providing much needed, affordable vet services for pets in Fairfield County. I can’t thank Jimmy Ray enough. His love for animals goes back a long way.”
A former Director of the Fairfield Animal Shelter, Innes is now associated with PETSinc. It’s long been his dream to see all Fairfield dogs and cats living their best life. But, with the county shelter overrun with mostly un-spayed/un-neutered, stray, abandoned, neglected, and abused bully breeds, and with regular veterinary services no longer available in the town, the prognosis was not good for Innes’ dream. But he hasn’t given up.
Last fall, he approached first the county government, then the Town of Winnsboro Town Manager Chris Clauson, about forming a partnership with PETSinc to provide a facility where a vet would provide affordable – really affordable – vet care for the county’s dogs and cats.
“They needed a building to house a clinic,” Clauson said. “I thought through the buildings the Town owns, and this one, located on S. Vanderhorst Street, attached to the vehicle maintenance department, was empty.”
Clauson liked the idea and took it to town council members. They unanimously approved a $10/month lease agreement with PETSinc.
“We made a few repairs to the building and cleaned it out. It was a win, win for everybody – local vet service for our pets and affordability for the pets’ owners,” Clauson said.
With a partnership formed between the Town and PETSinc, a boat load of volunteers were quickly assembled to begin cleaning, scraping, painting, and repairing the building. But the $6,000+ funds raised barely covered the basics.
Douglas’s check has put the dream in the crosshairs.
The 1,600 square foot renovation includes a waiting room, two small intake/examination rooms, a surgery room that will accommodate two surgeons, a large recovery room, and a large restroom. While the outside of the building is still rough, the clinic “look” is already coming together inside – sparkling poured floors in the entry area, new laminate in the rear rooms, and lots of windows across the front. The interior walls are painted in soft pastels. “Douglas’ donation,” Innes says, “will be used to continue the renovation and to purchase some furnishings and equipment, but more donations are still needed,”
“This clinic is so desperately needed here in Fairfield,” Innes repeated several times during the photo shoot. “So many strays. Good vet care is expensive,” he said. “Our aim is to offer good care – specifically spay and neuter surgeries at first – at prices that people in Fairfield can afford.”
Currently PETSinc’s mobile unit offers free and low-cost services in Winnsboro once a month.
“The clinic on S. Vanderhorst will be open at least two days a month to begin with, then more often as business increases,” Innes said. “The specific days and services will be announced later.”
To donate to the renovation or to volunteer to help with the renovations, email Innes at binnes@petsinc.org. The new clinic is located at 325 S. Vanderhorst Street in Winnsboro.
