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City supports establishing regional animal shelter
By Tom Munds
Englewood joined Littleton in pledging to support the South Platte Valley Humane Society proposal for creating a regional animal shelter.
Deputy City Manager Mike Flaherty told the Englewood City Council at the Oct. 19 study session that Littleton had previously agreed to provide $100,000 in support and drafted a contract for shelter services with the society. He said society officials asked the same measure of support from Englewood.
The members discussed the issue and eventually the council gave unanimous consensus approval to the same financial support and advised the staff to complete the contract for the shelter services.
Animal shelter services have been an issue for almost a year. That was when the future of the services provided for years by the Colorado Humane Society became uncertain following court action initiated by the state attorney general. While Englewood continued to receive services at the city-owned shelter, how long the service would continue remained uncertain. So, the city launched an effort to explore options. Nick Fisher presented a possible option as he unveiled his proposal to create a regional facility in the Englewood-Littleton area
The discussion Oct. 19 was held to determine if Fisher had the city’s backing and support to move forward with his plans.
Councilmember John Moore said he felt the council needed to take action on the issue.
“We have to do something because we don’t know how much longer we’ll have the services of the Colorado Humane Society and the idea of no shelter services is unacceptable,” he said. “I believe this is a reasonable option so I am supporting the proposal.”
Fisher told the council he had already started moving forward with the proposal by officially forming the South Platte Valley Humane Society by enlisting a board of directors and successfully applying for state and internal revenue nonprofit status.
He said the fledgling organization now is asking for the financial support from the two cities to help lease a location, purchase the kennels and other equipment so the new shelter can hopefully begin operation in early December.
Fisher, society chief executive officer, said he is looking at two locations, a 9,000-square-foot building in the Sheridan industrial area and an 8,000-square-foot building in Englewood.
“These buildings are twice the size of the shelter now operated by the Colorado Humane Society,” he told the council. “It will give us the space to provide services to Englewood and Littleton plus we hope to establish contracts to make this the facility also serving Centennial and Arapahoe County.”
Fisher acknowledged the leased facilities are the first step in the plans for the society to build an animal shelter.
“We feel it will take three to five years for our organization to get fully established,” he said. “Once we have a good foundation, we will begin a capital construction campaign to raise the money to build the new facilities.”
Flaherty said the proposed annual fee for services from the new facility would be $50,000, which is about what the city is currently paying the Colorado Humane Society.
The search for an new source of animal shelter services started as a result of legal action by the state attorney general. As part of that court action, the judge prohibited the previous society management from further association with the organization. He also appointed a custodian to oversee continued society operations while conducting a full evaluation of the organization.
The custodian, Rick Block of the Waverton Group, said early in the process his goal was to find an organization to continue society business. However, during the search for new management, the custodian has worked with former society staff members so the organization can continue to operate the city-owned animal shelter off South Platte River Drive, where they care for abandoned or lost animals and arrange adoptions. The shelter also disposes of dead animals by cremation on site or contracts for a company to perform the service.
The custodian’s search for a new operator continues, but Flaherty said it appears the society name will be sold to an organization that has no desire to continue to operate the city-owned shelter.
Deputy City Manager Mike Flaherty told the Englewood City Council at the Oct. 19 study session that Littleton had previously agreed to provide $100,000 in support and drafted a contract for shelter services with the society. He said society officials asked the same measure of support from Englewood.
The members discussed the issue and eventually the council gave unanimous consensus approval to the same financial support and advised the staff to complete the contract for the shelter services.
Animal shelter services have been an issue for almost a year. That was when the future of the services provided for years by the Colorado Humane Society became uncertain following court action initiated by the state attorney general. While Englewood continued to receive services at the city-owned shelter, how long the service would continue remained uncertain. So, the city launched an effort to explore options. Nick Fisher presented a possible option as he unveiled his proposal to create a regional facility in the Englewood-Littleton area
The discussion Oct. 19 was held to determine if Fisher had the city’s backing and support to move forward with his plans.
Councilmember John Moore said he felt the council needed to take action on the issue.
“We have to do something because we don’t know how much longer we’ll have the services of the Colorado Humane Society and the idea of no shelter services is unacceptable,” he said. “I believe this is a reasonable option so I am supporting the proposal.”
Fisher told the council he had already started moving forward with the proposal by officially forming the South Platte Valley Humane Society by enlisting a board of directors and successfully applying for state and internal revenue nonprofit status.
He said the fledgling organization now is asking for the financial support from the two cities to help lease a location, purchase the kennels and other equipment so the new shelter can hopefully begin operation in early December.
Fisher, society chief executive officer, said he is looking at two locations, a 9,000-square-foot building in the Sheridan industrial area and an 8,000-square-foot building in Englewood.
“These buildings are twice the size of the shelter now operated by the Colorado Humane Society,” he told the council. “It will give us the space to provide services to Englewood and Littleton plus we hope to establish contracts to make this the facility also serving Centennial and Arapahoe County.”
Fisher acknowledged the leased facilities are the first step in the plans for the society to build an animal shelter.
“We feel it will take three to five years for our organization to get fully established,” he said. “Once we have a good foundation, we will begin a capital construction campaign to raise the money to build the new facilities.”
Flaherty said the proposed annual fee for services from the new facility would be $50,000, which is about what the city is currently paying the Colorado Humane Society.
The search for an new source of animal shelter services started as a result of legal action by the state attorney general. As part of that court action, the judge prohibited the previous society management from further association with the organization. He also appointed a custodian to oversee continued society operations while conducting a full evaluation of the organization.
The custodian, Rick Block of the Waverton Group, said early in the process his goal was to find an organization to continue society business. However, during the search for new management, the custodian has worked with former society staff members so the organization can continue to operate the city-owned animal shelter off South Platte River Drive, where they care for abandoned or lost animals and arrange adoptions. The shelter also disposes of dead animals by cremation on site or contracts for a company to perform the service.
The custodian’s search for a new operator continues, but Flaherty said it appears the society name will be sold to an organization that has no desire to continue to operate the city-owned shelter.
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