Kalamazoo County has taken a big step toward replacing its animal shelter. On Tuesday commissioners agreed to hire architects to draft a design for a new facility. That’s major progress for a project that was first proposed a dozen years ago.
Animal Services Director Steve Lawrence has long said that the current facility promotes disease and stresses the animals because of its poor design. But Lawrence says the new shelter will be “something special that we can be proud of.”
“I think it’s going to increase the adoptions quite a bit because the animals will be healthier,” he says.
Lawrence says the public will enjoy the shelter as well, with better spaces for visiting with animals and walking them on the grounds.
“This is going to be a very special place for the whole community,” he adds.
Animal Services hopes to break ground on the new shelter next spring and to open the doors one year later in 2019. The county board will decide whether to approve the budget for the work.
