Orange County could spend millions of dollars on a new animal shelter over the next few years.
The county took in about 19,000 dogs and cats last year, and is running out of space for the animals.
Orange Count Mayor Teresa Jacobs said with all the much-needed upgrades, a new building might be a smarter option.
The shelter takes in about 50 dogs and cats a day, and the county staff said the problem is outgrowing the building.
The problems Orange County says are too expensive to fix at its animal shelter & the cost to taxpayers for a new facility on @WFTV at 5. pic.twitter.com/VXgIMuUlWF
— Lauren Seabrook (@LSeabrookWFTV) February 21, 2017
According to a county study, important upgrades, such as new heating, ventilating and an air conditioning system, aren’t feasible in the current facility.
The needs could come up to $2.8 million.
“Do you put all that money into a new building that you’re hoping that in a couple years you’re tearing down and rebuilding? That’s the kind of stuff that people don’t like to see with government waste,” said Jacobs.
The county is replacing the ventilation system for $450,000, and will wait on the new building for heating and air conditioning.
County staff expects the new place to have space for 200 dogs, 225 cats and a clinic.
They recommend building the 50,000 to 70,000-square-foot facility in phases at the shelter’s current location.
It could cost county taxpayers anywhere from $25 million to $40 million.
“We will budget it over a long period of time. It’s not like it’s going to come out of one year’s budget and so we’re going to move forward with this,” said Jacobs.
The mayor asked the county staff to have a design and final cost ready by the summer.
They hope for construction to start in about two years.
Cox Media Group
