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A nearly $6 million expansion to the Collin County Animal Shelter to be considered by voters on the Nov. 7 ballot could help ease growing pains in Frisco and nearby cities.
What’s happening?
One piece of a $683 million bond package on the ballot is a $5.7 million renovation project for the animal shelter that would be completed by February 2027.
The expansion is desperately needed, said Joanie Brown, an animal control officer at the shelter.
“We've been so full this year,” Brown said. “[There are] dogs in the crates in the hallway because we don't have enough kennel space, [and] cats we've been buddying up [with] younger ones [to] make more room. It's very much needed.”
Diving deeper
This is Brown’s sixth year at the shelter—and the worst she’s seen so far in terms of capacity, she said.
“We have highs and lows, where you have ‘kitten season’ or ‘puppy season’ where we’ll get more in ... and then it kind of backs off," Brown said.
Stay tuned
While Frisco does not have its own shelter, the Frisco Citizen Bond Committee did recommend placing a $5 million bond item to build one on its May 2023 general election ballot. Frisco City Council members ultimately decided against including the item.
City leaders have had multiple meetings with potential partners for an animal shelter over the years, but none have been the right fit, Mayor Jeff Cheney said at a Sept. 25 town hall.
“There has not been a viable partner that has presented itself at this point,” Cheney said. “City Council [and] city staff are still exploring those [options].”
