New Denton animal shelter needed to educate citizens, save animals

by Augusta Liddic of North Texas Daily

Let me out!

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 per 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," 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 said. "It was built as a pound. To try and make it anything different is impossible."

Twenty acres of land near North Lakes Park have been purchased by the city of Denton for the new shelter. However, 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 capital campaign to raise $3.2 million for the adoption and care part of the facility, Sherman said.

If built, the new shelter would be able to hold more than 250 animals, provide a positive environment for guests, offer more services, provide educational programs and would be able to provide more volunteer room.

"We want to make it more than just a shelter or pound," Sherman said. "We want it to be the Denton Animal Care and Adoption Center."

To raise money, the foundation plans to sell areas of the shelter for naming opportunities and will also consider grant funding from national foundations.

"Unfortunately, we are in an environment right now where no one has much money," Sherman said. "The economic situation hit all of us really hard and it hit the foundation hard too."

The Denton Animal Shelter Foundation was formed in 2006, by Sherman and Pete Kemp, to help support the Denton Animal Shelter through fundraising, public awareness and educational programs that promote animal welfare.

Kemp, co-chairman for the foundation, said the new shelter would provide a better image for the city as well as provide better care for the animals.

"We want to lower euthanization rates and get more animals adopted," said Kemp. "One of the main benefits is education. We're going to have a community room where we will have education projects on spaying and neutering, overall health and adoption of pets."

For more information about the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation, visit www.dentonanimalshelterfoundation.com.