Rowan County’s Animal Shelter Task Force will have its first meeting today to begin discussing potential policy changes.

The meeting is open to the public. It will be in the county’s administration building, 130 W. Innes St., in the downstairs conference room. The meeting will start at 5 p.m.

Commissioner Craig Pierce, who will serve as a facilitator for discussion during the meeting, said he hopes to use the task force’s first meeting to determine a goal for a final end product that the group would present to commissioners as a whole.

“It’s important to move forward and demonstrate we’re trying to make some progress out there, at the animal shelter,” Pierce said.

No specific agenda has been pre-determined for the meeting.

The veterinarians appointed to the board are Greg Lowe, who is involved with nonprofit group Shelter Guardians, and Rebekah Julian, involved with nonprofit No Pet Left Behind. The Rowan residents appointed to the board are Nina Dix, Barbara Hart, Jane Hartness and Tracy Waugh. All of the Rowan residents are involved with a local animal nonprofit agency.