The biggest change Russell plans to make is how the city works with the Madison County Animal Welfare Coalition and rescue agencies in the area.

“We explained to them that we’re bending over backwards to work with them, and not against them,” Russell said. “We don’t want an adversarial relationship with them as it was with the former director. We hope to come to agreements and compromise with them. If I get them working with us, I think we can lower the pet population here at the animal shelter.”

By doing that, Russell said, the animal shelter can drastically decrease the amount of euthanizations it must do.

Maleah Stringer, president of the Madison County Animal Welfare Coalition, said she was pleased about the changes.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “We have to have changes in there.”

Stringer, who writes a column on animals for The Herald Bulletin, said she thought Kelly’s employment was a great start.

“She’s wonderful,” she said. “She knows what she’s doing. She’s knowledgeable. I’m thrilled that she’s in there. I think that she can make a difference on what’s going to happen.”

Stringer agreed that raising the adoption rates was necessary. By raising rates, the animal shelter could help decrease the amount of dogfighting taking place in the community, she said.

“That’s a wonderful move,” Stringer said. “I’m just hoping that they’re going to be willing to work with the welfare group as well as the rescue groups. I hope to reduce drastically the euthanizing. That’s going to change the nature of the facility itself. There’s so many opportunities to make this into a wonderful place, and there’s so many people willing to help.”

Russell said he would try to visit other regional shelters to see what they were doing that could be done in Anderson.

“I am working with the animal welfare coalition to improve the operation of the animal shelter,” he said. “We’ve been in control a little less than a week, but we’ve already met with them and we’ve agreed to work together. So, at face value, things are a little better. We’ll see how things go.”

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