Spring Break
New animal shelter would educate citizens, save animals
Augusta Liddic Staff Writer
Issue date: 6/19/09 Section: NEWS
For its small building capacity, the city of Denton Animal Shelter has more dogs and cats than it can handle, but plans for a new animal shelter may change all that.
The city of Denton Animal Shelter handles over 5,000 animals a year in a facility that is capable of holding a maximum of 114 animals at a time, said Bette Sherman, chairman of the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation Inc..
According to 2008 population projections, by the year 2017 the population in Denton is expected to grow by about 27 percent. With the population growth, the 4,000 square foot building of the current animal shelter will have to handle over 8,000 animals pera year by the year 2017, Sherman said.
While plans have been made to build a new shelter to accommodate the growth of animals in Denton, a lack of funding for the project has been the main reason for the delay.
"Denton is behind the times," said Sherman said. "The issue should have been addressed years ago, but it wasn't. We're addressing it now."
The current shelter, which is located on Woodrow Lane next to the county jail complex, was built in 1979 and is located on a flood plain which that does not allow for expansion of the building, Sherman Sherman said.
"It wasn't built to be an adoption center," Sherman she said., "itIt was built as a pound. To try and make it anything different is impossible."
Twenty acres of land near North Lakes Park has been purchased by the city of Denton for the new shelter., howeverHowever, the city needs to raise a substantial amount of money in order to have the shelter built, Sherman said.
To get the money for the shelter the city of Denton would need to have a bond election and the citizens would need to approve the bond to help raise the $5 to $-7 million to build the facility.
The Denton Animal Shelter Foundation Inc. has played a vital role in the project. The foundation has a cCapital cCampaign to raise $3.2 million for the adoption and care part of the facility, Sherman said.
The city of Denton Animal Shelter handles over 5,000 animals a year in a facility that is capable of holding a maximum of 114 animals at a time, said Bette Sherman, chairman of the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation Inc..
According to 2008 population projections, by the year 2017 the population in Denton is expected to grow by about 27 percent. With the population growth, the 4,000 square foot building of the current animal shelter will have to handle over 8,000 animals pera year by the year 2017, Sherman said.
While plans have been made to build a new shelter to accommodate the growth of animals in Denton, a lack of funding for the project has been the main reason for the delay.
"Denton is behind the times," said Sherman said. "The issue should have been addressed years ago, but it wasn't. We're addressing it now."
The current shelter, which is located on Woodrow Lane next to the county jail complex, was built in 1979 and is located on a flood plain which that does not allow for expansion of the building, Sherman Sherman said.
"It wasn't built to be an adoption center," Sherman she said., "itIt was built as a pound. To try and make it anything different is impossible."
Twenty acres of land near North Lakes Park has been purchased by the city of Denton for the new shelter., howeverHowever, the city needs to raise a substantial amount of money in order to have the shelter built, Sherman said.
To get the money for the shelter the city of Denton would need to have a bond election and the citizens would need to approve the bond to help raise the $5 to $-7 million to build the facility.
The Denton Animal Shelter Foundation Inc. has played a vital role in the project. The foundation has a cCapital cCampaign to raise $3.2 million for the adoption and care part of the facility, Sherman said.
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