The Forsyth County Animal Shelter’s mission will be to provide responsive, efficient and high quality animal care and control services.

The mission statement was approved Tuesday night by the Forsyth County Animal Control & Shelter Advisory Committee.

The statement goes on to note that the shelter will "preserve and protect animal and public safety and to maximize the placement of adoptable animals."

The committee is tasked with helping the county build and operate an animal shelter.

Lanier Orr, who runs the county’s current animal control shelter and sits on the five-member committee, has expressed his desire to step down from an operation that no longer fits the county’s needs.

The shelter was among the projects voters approved in a recent six-year extension of the 1-cent sales tax.

Though a timeline and funding specifics haven’t been determined, the committee has recommended the shelter be built off County Way in north Forsyth.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the committee also heard from Lisa Leonard with the Forsyth County Humane Society.

Leonard offered a presentation on building a no-kill community, including a history of animal shelters and what was described as the no-kill equation.

She also offered different categories and the 11 tenets of a no-kill shelter.

The board also appointed two members, Lance White and John McGruder, to a subcommittee to make recommendations on the design and construction of the new shelter.