Safe Harbor moving in right direction

It's been almost a year since the Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary in Jackson reopened.

It took quite the effort for new management to get the facility back up and running after it closed in May 2015 following a lawsuit by the Missouri attorney general's office and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, as well as the retirement of its director.

After all the hard work, the organization received a nice reward just in time for the holidays. On Dec. 14, Nestle Purina presented Safe Harbor with a $10,000 grant.

"We got that call, and I tell you what, I never saw so many people cry in my life, except for the day they signed the license that said we can open again," office manager Angela Shell said of finding out about the grant.

The grant is planned to help renovate Safe Harbor's original cat sanctuary into an indoor/outdoor doghouse; runs will be added to allow the dogs to roam and an exam room and cleaning room will be included in the renovation.

As of Dec. 14 the organization had taken in 281 animals, with 223 of them being placed in new homes. The facility mostly deals with cats, but the new renovation will hopefully allow them to help more dogs.

We're glad to see Safe Harbor back up and running, and passing bimonthly state inspections consistently since the reopening. We wish them the best as they continue to change the lives of animals for the better.