Animal Shelter Could Close Under New Regional Partnership Plan [UPDATE]

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- After a promised update on the future of the city’s animal shelter, officials disclosed the possibility of joining another facility that would effectively shut down the local animal housing facility.

City officials disclosed the plans at their Feb. 9 council meeting. Plans now potentially call for local shelter services to join the counterpart Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, which would prompt closure of the local site, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Ambitious upgrades to the site had been envisioned to augment past piecemeal expansions. But those ideas were dashed after voters rejected a $10.7 million bond referendum last November that would’ve financed shelter expansion.

The idea of a partnership came about after a meeting between Police Chief Charles Hooker and Williamson County Commissioner (and regional shelter board member) Valerie Covey, City Manager Brandon Wade told council members.

“I had been working actually prior to the last bond election with various city managers in Williamson County about the prospect of this,” Wade was quoted in the Statesman as having told council members.

The regional shelter serves a wide geographical swath, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Hutto, Leander and Williamson County. Last week, members of the regional shelter board met to adding Pflugerville to the combined operation.

“I’ve not had a formal response, but we do have folks that sit on that board that we’ve consulted with,” Wade said. “They’re very much willing to consider the city of Pflugerville’s participation.”

The $3.4 million regional shelter opened in early 2007. In joining it as partner, the city would contribute about $200,000 a year as its share of its operation, Wade said.

Wade offered a mixed bag in terms of overall costs: While the plan would potentially reduce the city’s bottom line by excluding it from the budget, it would increase costs to hire animal control officers who would have to travel to Georgetown to transport animals to the regional shelter located there.

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From Feb. 8:

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- The city manager is scheduled to provide an update on animal shelter improvements at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

The shelter has long been in need of improvements and expansion. Much-needed improvements to the shelter have come into greater focus since voters rejected a $10.7 million bond referendum to build a new one.

Before the failed vote, the city authorized a $400,000 expenditure to construct a new building to house 30 additional dogs. The wing was envisioned as a way to alleviate space at an existing shelter that had become too cramped to house further animals.

And in 2014, city council members voted to further alleviate space with an increase of number of medium and large adoption kennels from 15 to 24 and adding eight small dog adoption kennels. As part of those plans, an existing storage structure at the shelter was renovated to house additional dog kennels.

One of the most ambitious plans for the shelter as a long-term solution involved building a new facility on eight acres of lake-fronted land in the Gattlinburg subdivision. The shelter currently stands on about two acres.

During the status report, the state of progress on the shelter project will be given. The Feb. 9 update will be brief, city officials said.

The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. For those unable to attend, the discussion can be viewed online at www.pflugervilletx.gov/pftv or on Uverse Ch 99 or Suddenlink 17 or 117.