"This is probably the 4th or 5th one that I've done. The first was a 90-day contract, and it lasted for 14 years. And I've done this coast to coast," says Deborah Biggs as she walked around Macon Animal Control visiting the dogs.
She's referring to the number of animal shelters she says she's taken over and turned around.
"I'm a troubleshooter. That means going into places that need help. And that doesn't mean all of them are in a bad state of disarray, although a lot of them have been," she says.
The shelter built next to a landfill has been plagued with problems, most recently, a cockroach and mice infestation.
"The shelter isn't that bad, but there's room for improvement."
Bibb County will take over Macon Animal Control this Friday. Assigning an Interim Animal Welfare Director is the first of many changes.
Biggs will be the Interim Director for 60 days. The first on her list of things to fix is the ventilation system.
She flew up from Florida, bringing more than 33 years of experience in running shelters and animal welfare groups. Biggs plans to challenge the Macon Shelter's problems head-on.
"There's leaking hoses that are getting the staff wet. If you have a wet floor, then you have an issue with public safety as well as staff safety," Biggs says. "Some of the equipment doesn't work. They can't sanitize the dish bowls properly so we want to get the dishwasher fixed."
The 55-year-old is semi-retired and will not be a candidate for the permanent position.
Making the best of this shelter is a temporary fix. That's because Bibb County has a new shelter in the works.