City of Bryan approves $7.4M animal shelter

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Bryan City Council decided to build a new animal shelter last Tuesday, with an estimated price of more than $7.4 million.

It comes almost seven years after the council agreed to a feasibility study. The intent of that study was to:

• Analyze and evaluate existing facility
• Determine needs for a future facility
• Review potential sites for a new facility
• Develop conceptual design for a new facility

Per the meeting, the analysis of the study shows:

• More animal habitats are needed
• Spaces are used for multiple purposes, compromising primary functions
• Many program needs do not have specifically designated space
• Rooms are used as passageways for unrelated functions
• Facility needs improved accessibility
• Public access to animal habitats and commingled air creates potential for disease to spread

The location of the new facility will be at Public Works Municipal Services Center off MLK, Jr. Street.

Bryan City Environmental Services Manager Eric Zaragoza told KBTX the animal center needs more space.

“We are limited on space as it is right now. Our current facility is about 7,000 square feet. The one we are proposing, right, is going to be close to 18,000 square feet. So, 2.5 times larger than what we currently have,” Zaragoza explained. “We’ll have the appropriate amount of dog habitats and cat habitats. We’re running a little short as we are right now.”

The City of Bryan parted ways with Aggieland Humane Society in 2011. Since then, all animals found within the city limits of Bryan have been taken to the Bryan Animal Center.

“Bryan decided to go ahead and care for its own animals. So, I think at this point moving forward for us, the City of Bryan, building its own facility. That way we have our own separate programs and ideas that we actually take directly to our residents, would probably be a better fit. For us, it’s going to be more successful for the pets of our community.”

The next step in the process is to move forward with a design build proposal.

Zaragoza said the proposed design should be released in spring of 2025, with the anticipation of completing the design at the end of next year. Construction should begin in 2026. The total estimated cost breakdown of the new shelter is $7,430,000.