On Thursday, Jan. 20, when the Guilford County Board of Commissioners holds its next virtual regular meeting, there may be some disagreement over some agenda items, but there’s one item that all nine commissioners will whole heartedly back.

The commissioners will approve the receipt of a donation to Guilford County animal shelter for nearly $15,000 from an unnamed person who included the shelter as the beneficiary of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Another recent donation of $10,000 will mean that the shelter is getting $25,000 in total that it hadn’t planned on.

The new animal shelter – which just opened last year and is called the “Guilford County Animal Resource Center – was listed as an anonymous donor’s IRA beneficiary – with the inheritance value of $14,696.89.

The Guilford County Animal Services Department plans on using the money for “shelter enrichment programs that help reduce the stress and boredom of kennel life.” 

The new shelter, which has been getting positive reviews from those who’ve toured it, is designed to allow for more programs that keep the animals happier and more engaged while being held there.

According to information provided to the county commissioners, every animal in the shelter benefits from the  enrichment programs, but those programs can be “especially valuable for long-term residents who tend to deteriorate quickly in kennels.”

The Guilford County Animal Shelter also recently received an additional “walk-in donation” of $10,000 from the Newby family.  The Animal Services Department plans on using those funds in support of shelter enrichment plans as well.

The county commissioners must vote to accept the two donations that add up to nearly $25,000 – but, again, that should be an easy bar to clear.  The money will be labeled by the county as “Miscellaneous Revenues.”