Anyone who has stepped foot inside the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society’s shelter on Liberty Road in the last 15 years or so likely can vividly remember the experience.

Cramped tight spaces, scared animals barking incessantly and the smells that come from having too many stray animals in too tight of quarters are memories not quick to depart from one’s mind.

For the thousands and thousands of animals that have crossed the shelter’s threshold through the years, we can only imagine their own comprehension of how awful the place was.

Fortunately, tomorrow, unwanted animals in our area get an amazing, new home, thanks to the hard work of humane society volunteers and generosity of donors.

A new shelter, just down the road from the existing shelter, will open up with an animal parade at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

The Natchez-Adams County Humane Society and its volunteers lost their footing a bit during the fundraising process, became embroiled in a bit of human controversy and had to have help to regain their direction. To their credit, humane society leaders managed to do that and put the needs of the animals first.

After all, that should be the No. 1 focus of the organization — caring for the lost and unwanted animals of our community.

We pause today to say, “great job” to the group for making a long-time dream become a reality with the new shelter.

Our dream is that one day our community will have no need for a shelter at all because people will spay and neuter all domestic animals and not simply discard them like yesterday’s trash.

Since that day is likely to never occur, we’re glad the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society is there to help.