After going more than 25 years without a dedicated animal shelter, the city of Opelousas is preparing to open its first shelter.
For decades, stray and abandoned animals in Opelousas had no permanent place to stay. Until now, the responsibility had mainly fallen on one man, Animal Control Officer Joey Stelly, who has worked with limited resources to care for animals in the city.
For the past 14 years, Stelly has operated a makeshift shelter at the city work yard, managing an average of 10 calls a day and juggling the care of animals with only seven kennels and limited supplies…