Southland Casino Hotel and West Memphis open new $2.3 million animal shelter
The shelter, funded by a public-private partnership, can house 48 dogs and 40 cats and replaces an older city facility.
WEST MEMPHIS · Southland Casino Hotel and the City of West Memphis have opened a new $2.3 million animal shelter and adoption centre. The Carolyn and Ness Sechrest Animal Shelter & Adoption Center opened last week at 1800 Southland Drive, behind the casino. Southland and its parent company, Delaware North, contributed $1.7 million toward the construction. The city, community members and the Arkansas Greyhound Kennel Association also contributed to the project. The new facility provides a safe and comfortable place for dogs and cats while they await adoption.
The facility is named for the late Ness Sechrest, chairman emeritus of the Southland board, and his late wife, Carolyn Sechrest, a former member of the city’s animal control commission. For several years, the couple pushed for funding to replace the city's older, more limited shelter. "Ness and Carolyn Sechrest brought such passion and commitment to the community and worked tirelessly to bring this new shelter from vision to reality," said Delaware North CEO Lou Jacobs. Jacobs noted that Ness Sechrest was a trusted adviser on Southland to his father, Delaware North Chairman Jeremy Jacobs, over several decades. The new shelter is built on the site of the former Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Center. After live racing ended at Southland in 2022 and all remaining greyhounds were adopted, Delaware North's Jacobs family and the Southland board agreed the former adoption facility would be an ideal location for an improved city shelter. The project includes a new structure and a renovated adoption facility.
The shelter is significantly larger than the previous one and features modern amenities. It has capacity for 48 dogs and 40 cats, with significant additional capability in the case of an emergency or disaster, as well as spaces to quarantine both cats and dogs that might have illnesses. "This is a great day for West Memphis, and I’m proud of what a strong partnership has built together," said West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon. "This new animal shelter has been needed for a long time, and thanks to our partners at Southland Casino Hotel and Delaware North, we now have a first-class facility to better care for animals in our community."
Officials from Southland Casino Hotel, Delaware North and the city, joined by members of the Sechrest family, held a ceremonial ribbon cutting before touring the new facility. The Sechrests attended the groundbreaking ceremony in early 2024 but have since passed away. "I know Ness would be so proud of what we’ve done together for the community in this public-private partnership between West Memphis and Southland," Jacobs said. Osi Imomoh, president and general manager of Southland Casino Hotel, said the project reflects the casino's extensive support for the region. "On behalf of our more than 1,200 team members at Southland Casino Hotel, we are grateful to play an important part in the rise of West Memphis and celebrate a new chapter of care, compassion and community with this new facility," Imomoh said. The new animal shelter is the latest example of Southland’s support of West Memphis and the region.