By Betsy Finklea
New Dillon County Animal Shelter Director Jimmy Haselden and new Office Manager Janice Watson want to make the Dillon County Animal Shelter a place of which the citizens of Dillon County can be proud.
This enthusiastic team wants to make the Dillon County animal shelter a user-friendly, warm, and inviting place. They are looking forward to inviting volunteers in and working with them. They both enjoy being around the babies (the dogs and cats) and tending to them each day.
Watson said Director Haselden has some great ideas to create a warm and welcoming environment at the shelter.
Haselden wants to make the animal shelter a colorful place with paintings on the walls, etc.
They would like to do a kids adoption event.
They are planning a Pumpkins and Puppies event in the fall, which will be a fall picture opportunity. They also plan to do this at Christmas and at Valentine’s Day.
They will be partnering with the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office on a free flea and tick dip.
Haselden would like to get the schools involved. He will be reaching out to the art departments and hopes that each school will sponsor a row to paint and have a sign with their school logo on it.
The main thing they will be doing is working towards the goal of getting these babies into good homes, and they will be networking to accomplish this.
They also plan to participate in the Shelterluv program, a software which will feature their animals on a website and show their status, and whether they are available for adoption.
Haselden brings 20+ years of law enforcement experience. He stepped away from law enforcement for 17 years to be a husband and father, but law enforcement kept calling him. An opportunity to get back into law enforcement presented itself with the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, and he took it.
Then Sheriff Jamie Hamilton came to him a few weeks later and asked him if he would be interested in the position of director of the animal shelter because Hamilton had been asked to assist in finding someone. He talked to his wife, Monica, and his boys and together that they made the decision that this was the right move for him. While he said he felt a little sad to be leaving the Sheriff’s Office as did Watson, who decided to transition with him, they know this is where they are supposed to be. “This too was a calling,” Haselden said. Haselden said that he and Watson feel that this is just an extension of the Sheriff’s Office.
Watson, who has years of administrative experience, said she knew that this was a good move for her because it is a great cause and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of animals and in the lives of people by connecting animals with happy homes.
Haselden said he and Watson are striving to have good communication with the public. He personally goes out to talk with people if necessary. He likes to be able to listen to citizens and understand the problems they are having. He and Watson want to work hand in hand with the public.
Sheriff Jamie Hamilton said the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office will have a good working relationship with the animal shelter, and they will work as a team. He said Haselden has the experience and will take additional training to investigate cases related to animals such as whether they are being mistreated, etc. He feels the new team’s relationship with the Sheriff’s Office will definitely be a benefit.
At the end of the day, both Haselden and Watson want to make sure that the animals are being taken care of and that they are getting their babies into forever, loving homes.
If you are interested in being a volunteer, please come to the animal shelter volunteer meeting on Thursday, August 15th, at 5:30 p.m. at the courtroom in the Dillon County Judicial Center, located at 1027 Old Latta Highway in Dillon.
Pictured are Animal Shelter Director Jimmy Haselden, Dillon County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Wayne Green, Animal Shelter Office Manager Janice Watson, and Sheriff Jamie Hamilton. (Photo by Betsy Finklea/The Dillon County News, LLC)
