City staff proposed a plan for a new facility at an Oct. 7 City Council work session. No action was taken on the plans at the meeting, but council members directed staff to continue organizing the proposal.
The details
The plan is to open a facility through a public-private partnership, a method city officials have used to develop different projects to Frisco such as PGA and The Star.
At the facility, animals could be held for three to five days before being transferred to Collin County, which has a shelter in McKinney.
Nichole Kohanski, founder of Wiggle Butt Academy and Canine Lighthouse, is the proposed partner to operate the potential animal facility in Frisco. Wiggle Butt Academy offers training and behavioral modification services for dogs. Canine Lighthouse is a rescue and adoption organization.
“I want to take humane care to the next level,” Kohanski said.
The facility would be supported, in part, by Frisco Animal Services.
The animal services facility could be a little more than 4 acres on a plot of land owned by the city’s Community Development Corporation near PGA Parkway. It could have play areas, training rooms, spaces for exotic animals and offices for staff.
“It’s a very good site for this use,” said Ken Schmidt, Frisco director of special projects.
Plans call for the facility to have two floors.
The funding for the facility would come from the Community Development Corporation, which would sign a 20-year land and facility lease agreement. Schmidt said $7.7 million would be reimbursed from the operator, who will pay rent to use the facility.
The context
Frisco gets support from the Collin County shelter for its animal needs but Police Chief David Shilson said at the Oct. 7 work session that residents are looking for a more convenient place to reunite with their pets.
A new facility could meet this need of residents, and it could also enhance care for pets in Frisco, Shilson said.
How we got here
City Manager Wes Pierson announced in February that the city was eyeing the Community Development Corporation site in north Frisco for a potential animal facility. Frisco officials have been looking for a private partner to help make such a facility a reality since February.
Talks of an animal facility have been ongoing in Frisco. In 2023, a Frisco Citizen Bond Committee recommended to place a $5 million bond item on the ballot to build an animal shelter. The item was not added the package, which passed in May 2023.
The Collin County animal shelter received $5.7 million in funding through a county bond, which voters approved in November 2023.
Looking ahead
A date has not yet been determined for a follow up discussion regarding the animal facility.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect a clarification on the services offered by Frisco Animal Services.
