Hurst is asking voters for new animal shelter to ease overcrowding
Voters in Hurst will decide May 4 whether to approve a $7.5-million bond package to pay for a new animal shelter, which will have enough space for adoptions, kennels and employee training.
The plan also includes a dog park.
City manager Clay Caruthers said during a Feb. 12 City Council meeting that the shelter on Cannon Drive doesn’t have the space the city needs. New shelters have more open space to encourage adoptions and the buildings have a bright and cheerful look to them, he said.
Spokeswoman Kara McKinney said Hurst is exploring the possibility of purchasing land from Tarrant County College for the animal shelter and dog park, and is conducting environmental and utilities studies. If voters turn down the bond package, the city won’t purchase the land, McKinney said.
The current animal shelter, built in 2001, is less than 3,000 square feet, and its poor design creates problems with ventillation and sanitation, McKinney said. The space isn’t adequate for employees and there isn’t enough space to house and exercise the animals.