KINSTON, N.C., March 18, 2024 – Members of the North Carolina Rural Development Team participated in a ribbon cutting at the new Lenoir County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals facility today.
Rural Development invested $1.7 million through a USDA Community Facilities Loan to construct a new facility to serve as the Lenoir County animal shelter.
The new building holds:
- Administration offices
- Animal relinquishing area
- Pet adoption area
- Laundry room
- Outdoor play area
“For many of us our pets are members of our family,” said a member of the Rural Development Team. “This facility will provide a place where people can come and find companions that will enrich their lives. Many of the investments made through Rural Development work to make rural communities safer, it is a great day when our investments work to make homes happier. This is a wonderful day!”
According to the Rural Development Website, the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
Background
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, promoting competition and fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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