The way Macon runs animal welfare changed. An audit could reveal how that’s faring

Macon-Bibb County’s animal shelter operations and animal control that handles picking up strays and writing citations were separated in 2017 in an effort to improve efficiency.

Now, Commissioner Scotty Shepherd is requesting an internal audit of animal welfare and animal control to find out how effective those changes have been. The switch kept Animal Welfare (shelter operations) as its own department while animal control officers became part of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

Shepherd’s resolution calling for the audit is on Tuesday’s County Commission committee agenda. An audit will not only examine whether the change is making sense financially, but also how well it’s operating overall, he said.

“We’ve had the change of leadership there, and we’re just trying to see how that’s working,” Shepherd said Monday.

There have been debates among county leaders over the future of the animal welfare department over the last several years.

A proposal to find a nonprofit manage adoptions and some of the other shelter services failed to get through commission.

Also, prior to the split of the Animal Welfare Department, Bibb County District Attorney David Cooke said a poor working relationship between the animal control and sheriff’s office staff hindered some animal cruelty investigations.