Keller Williams drive brings supplies, donations to Lafayette County Animal Shelter

A Keller Williams Oxford community drive at Tractor Supply Co. in Oxford brought in pet food, cat litter, toys, towels, puppy pads, cleaning supplies, paper goods and cash for the Lafayette County Animal Shelter, a haul aimed squarely at the daily costs of keeping animals fed, clean and housed.

The RED Day event, part of Keller Williams’ annual day of community service, was held at Tractor Supply on Highway 30 and drew donations for a shelter that describes itself as county-contracted, government-funded and open-admission in Oxford. The shelter’s adoption fee is $125, and that price includes spay and neuter surgery, vaccinations and a microchip, a reminder that the cost of placing one animal reaches far beyond the kennel door.

The supply drive comes as Lafayette County continues to build out its shelter capacity. In February 2025, county supervisors approved a contract with the Oxford Lafayette Humane Society to manage the new facility once completed. The shelter was described as a 4,160-square-foot building on three acres in the Lafayette County Max D. Hipp Industrial Park, and Board of Supervisors President Brent Larson said the equipment list was “a big list” and “an extremely expensive endeavor.”

That investment reflects a long-running strain on local animal care. In 2019, then-shelter manager Gail Brown said the shelter had taken in 420 animals from Oxford and 497 from Lafayette County since November. In 2024, the county had no animal shelter while the new facility moved forward. By 2025, coverage said the shelter had taken in more than 300 animals since opening in June, with only 2% reclaimed by owners and about 10% adopted locally.

Against that backdrop, the Tractor Supply drive was less a symbolic gesture than an operational boost. Pet food, litter, towels and cleaning products help stretch shelter resources so staff can focus on animals that still need veterinary care, adoption placement and, in many cases, a second chance before the next intake arrives.