VIDALIA, La. – A local group has taken another step toward establishing a shelter for stray animals in Concordia Parish by filing their articles of incorporation with the State of Louisiana.

&uot;And we’re continuing to work on our 501(c)3 (nonprofit) status,&uot; said Donna Maroon, chairwoman of the board of the Concordia Animal Welfare and Rescue Shelter. &uot;When that’s done, we can actively solicit donations.&uot;

Maroon has said it could take seven or eight months for the federal government to grant the organization tax-exempt status.

Setting up a corporation is necessary in order to qualify for grants to help build a shelter.

Local officials estimate a shelter for the parish and the towns of Ferriday, Ridgecrest and Clayton could cost $50,000.

One reason for the high cost is that the Humane Society has detailed specifications for shelter construction.

In March, the Concordia Parish Police Jury voted to allocate $3,000 to help fund construction of an animal shelter to serve the entire parish.

Jurors also voted to write officials of Ferriday, Clayton and Ridgecrest, asking those towns to donate $1,000, $500 and $500, respectively, to help build the shelter.

The committee does not yet have a location for its proposed shelter. Ferriday Mayor Glen McGlothin has said the town could donate land it owns on Poole Road as a site for the shelter, but a donation has not yet been made.

Police jurors and other local officials have discussed for more than two years what to do about the problem of stray animals biting people, turning over trash and creating other problems.

And in November, more than 1,000 people signed petitions in favor of building a parishwide shelter.