QUINCY - Rachel Lewis is the new Quincy's animal shelter manager.

Lewis' appointment to the new city position was approved by the city council during a recent meeting. The city recently took over management of the shelter as part of the 2012 budget process.

Eight candidates were interviewed for the position after the city received several applications to fill the position, Police Chief Richard Ackerman said. A group comprised of councilmembers and the human resources firm the city contracts with interviewed the candidates and selected three.

"I had the pleasure of the final interview," he said. "A very thorough and lengthy process, but I think it was very well done."

The city approved a starting salary of $46,000 a year, according to city records. Her salary will increase to $47,000 a year in October and $48,000 a year in April 2013. The increases depend on Lewis receiving satisfactory evaluations. The city doesn't provide insurance with the salary.

Lewis is a Washington State University graduate, where she received a degree in agricultural economics, she said. She always had animals when she was growing up and has a small herd of cattle.

"Animals are my passion," she said. "I thought (the animal shelter) would be a good place to put that passion into work ... I volunteer with a friend who does some dog rescues, specifically with working dogs, stock dogs. I helped her in doing some rehabilitation with under cared for, malnourished pets."

Lewis has a background in animal health, specifically with cattle and horses, but she also had dogs and cats, she said.

She described taking over the shelter as a big project, and Lewis and Ackerman want it to be an adoption shelter. She wants to take care of the animals as well as educate the community about items such as spaying, neutering and licensing pets.

"We want to try and rehome pets, and be a positive part of the community," she said. "I like the community to have some educational opportunities. I think managing that on the front side is going to help you on the back end. If you can get out there and educate the public on keeping your pets vaccinations and everything they need up to date ... It's going to help that on down the line, keeping animals from coming to the shelter to begin with."

She hopes to start working at the shelter at the beginning of April.

"I'm very excited about it. That was something that I said I would bring to the table is a sort of energy," she said. "I hope that we can make it into a very successful project."