When animal control supervisor Juan Acevedo first came to Missouri City about 20 years ago, he had little more than a handful of kennels and a few hundred square feet of space to work with. The services the city could offer were limited.

"Our problem before, other than the space, was that we were situated off the road," Acevedo said. "We have better visibility now, and that is key."

As of early September, the Missouri City Animal Shelter has moved into a new, 2,600-square-foot facility at 1923 Scanlin Road. The building features separate areas for dogs and cats, on-site restrooms, office space and indoor and outdoor play areas for animals and prospective new owners. City officials and residents were invited to an open house at the facility on Sept. 23.

"We had a good turnout with city council members and the mayors from [Missouri City] and Stafford along with residents and many of the rescues that we work with," Acevedo said. "This location looks more inviting. [The open house] let people know that we do offer adoptions and we now have several people interested in volunteering."

The facility features 25 animal kennelsup from only eight at the previous location. This increased capacity allows the shelter to not only keep more animals, but keep them longer before having to euthanize or place them in foster care.

"Last month, we had a puppy dropped off that we were able to keep for a month and a half," Acevedo said. "By then, he wasn't so much of a puppy anymore. It's great to be able to watch these animals grow up a little."

The city's animal control division works with several animal rescues including Save Our Strays Fort Benda local nonprofit organization that rescues animals from Fort Bend animal shelters. Apart from taking in stray animals and providing adoptions, the Missouri City Animal Shelter is able to provide traps for racoons, possums and other unwanted critters around town.

"If a resident calls, we provide the trap and show them how to bait it," Acevedo said. "When the trap is triggered, we go and pick up the animal and, if necessary, leave them with an empty trap."

Construction of the nearly $6 million facility began in summer 2012 and was a joint project with the city of Stafford, which funded about 25 percent of the project cost. As a result, Stafford is able to use the shelter for animal control services. The new facility is open from 7 a.m.–4 p.m. seven days a week.

Acevedo and his team of twoRichard Perez and Allen Mendozamake up the city's animal control division. With the expectation of expanding services, they are working on finalizing a volunteer program, and will soon be looking for area residents who would like to assist with animal care and front desk services for the shelter.

For more information, call 281-403-8707 or visit www.missouricitytx.gov.