The Amarillo City Council has approved more than $650,000 in construction work to replace aging kennels at the city’s Animal Management and Welfare shelter, where officials say deteriorating infrastructure has created safety concerns for both animals and employees.
Council members approved the construction contract during their regular meeting Tuesday. The project will include demolition and removal of existing dog kennel components and the installation of new stainless steel kennel systems.
The work comes as the city deals with an animal shelter that has been in use for decades.
“Our shelter was constructed in the 1970s and so clearly we have some failing and some aging infrastructure,” said Brandi Bullock, interim director of Animal Management and Welfare. “So this capital improvement project that they approved will support doing new kennel fronts, which will improve the safety, the overall welfare of the animals and the staff at our shelter.”
According to city officials, years of continuous use combined with exposure to moisture and cleaning chemicals have caused severe corrosion and structural deterioration. The existing kennels have reached the end of their useful service life and are now considered in critical need of replacement.
The condition of the kennels has also created operational challenges for shelter employees.
“It’s going to reduce stress for the animals and it’s going to keep the staff safer,” Bullock said of the renovations. “Currently right now we have daily repairs and kennels which impedes operations. So just overall it’s impeding operations and the safety of the animals and the staff that are working directly with those animals.”
Council member Les Simpson said the improvements should make day-to-day work at the shelter safer while also making the kennel area easier to maintain.
“These upgrades will really provide a safer environment where people aren’t tripping or falling or having problems, particularly when they’re having to deal with animals and also to be able to clean the area much more efficiently,” Simpson said.
The newly approved contract will not replace all of the shelter’s kennels at once. Officials said the project will address about half of the facility, with the remaining buildings expected to be addressed as additional funding becomes available.
Funding for the current phase will come from Capital Improvement Projects general fund revenues.
