Construction has begun on the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, which will initially have 60 feline habitats and 85 kennels for dogs.
The $3.9 million shelter, being built in the Georgetown area near Austin, is a collaborative effort between Williamson County and the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and Hutto.
The facility is designed to meet the growing needs of the county for the next 10 years, but according to the county, the master plan allows for growth to handle animal control needs for up to 20 years without having to buy additional land.
When fully operational, the new shelter is expected to help increase pet adoptions, put more emphasis on care for lost pets, and help reduce the stray population. County Commissioner Greg Boatright says the new shared facility will also reduce animal control costs of the county and the participating cities.
For each city in the county to build its own facility would cost three times what is now being spent, Boatright says.
The shelter is scheduled to open in January 2007.
Posted: April 24, 2006, 5 a.m. EST