The Cherokee County Administration building has gone to the dogs.

Cherokee County Interim Administrator Ben Clary said he will be spending time this week sorting through the applications for the new city/county consolidated animal shelter manager position. The deadline to apply was Friday, Sept. 26.

Clary said he was pleased with the number of applicants for the job, which will pay $27,500 a year.

"We seem to have enough to make a good selection," he said.

Clary said although it's his call on who will be the new shelter manager, he will seek input from assistant administrator Holland Belue and the county's personnel director.

Local animal rights advocates who have appeared at many council meetings to voice their concerns over shelter operations won't have a say in the hiring, Clary said.

Council also has approved some shuffling of duties at the animal shelter. Council has eliminated the clerk position and has replaced it with a maintenance worker, who will be responsible, in part, for the euthanizations of the animals.

Telephone calls normally handled by the clerk will be dispatched through the county's public works department, Clary said.

The maintenance position will earn the same salary as the former clerk of $24,247 a year.