ABOVE: Vermilion County Animal Shelter Director Kasey Snyder poses with Stan; an older, very friendly dog up for adoption.
For the Vermilion County Animal Shelter, the recently passed county budget brought some good news. For operations, the shelter’s portion of the budget increased this year from $1.5 million to $1.8 million; which helps with everything from animal care, to staffing, to employee retention, and spaying and neutering needs. The shelter also received $232,000 for maintenance work.
The bad news, however, is that with that latter of 230,000-plus for maintenance work, they really don’t know how to spend it yet. The wait continues on a County Board decision on whether to build a complete new animal control and shelter facility, to build a partial new facility, or focus completely on improvements to the current one. What makes it a difficult decision is that consultant Shelter Planners of America out of Arlington, TX pinned the total cost of a complete new facility at around $14 million.
County Board Chairman Larry Baughn says the plan right now is to form a “working group” after the holidays; composed of perhaps staff members at the current shelter, volunteers at the current shelter, and concerned residents and animal lovers within Vermilion County.
Twice per month, the Vermilion County Animal Shelter is now receiving visits from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, to help with the spaying and neutering of pets.
Director Kasey Snyder says that decision will really determine where that maintenance money goes.
AUDIO: We want to use it the most efficient way that we can. And so, we’re waiting to finalize whether we are going to have a new facility, or a partial new facility, or do we need to start investing in the current facility.
Snyder says if it turns out that most of the maintenance funding needs to go to the current facility, she has a special project in mind for between now and next summer.
AUDIO: (To) start to go towards our heating and air conditioning issues that we have; mostly the air conditioning before summer rolls around.
Meanwhile, the Vermilion County Animal Shelter will be teaming up with the Bissell Pet Foundation for a special adoption event between December 1st and 17th. Adoptions of dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens will be free for the adopter during that time period. Call 217-431-2660 for more, or go to https://www.vercounty.org/animal-shelter/
