Frisco Doesn’t Support an Animal Shelter

If anyone wondered the City of Frisco’s position on a local animal shelter, Monday’s Nov. 14, Citizen Bond Committee presentation from Police Chief Shilson made it quite evident the City of Frisco definitively does not want to take on the responsibility of shelter. The Frisco residents that were in attendance and those emailing the Committee however want and support this public service.

For those Frisco residents, the City’s presentation was somewhat confusing as it included the cost of land, yearly escalation prices, and operating and maintenance—line items that were absent from other city presentations from Parks and Recreation, Facilities, and a Public Safety Training Facility proposal presented that same evening just minutes before. Equally baffling was their reasoning for not having a shelter, stressing overcrowding, euthanasia rates too high, no staff, and funding and cost. Ironically, the speakers in support of a shelter used similar points as the very reasons Frisco needed to have its own animal resource center. Anticipating the argument that a new shelter would then increase Frisco Animal Services’ annual operating budget, Frisco residents highlighted four models of shelter success, all with an annual budget of 1 million dollars, which is approximately the the City’s current budget.

Of the top 12 largest cities in Texas, Frisco is the only one without a local shelter. Allen, Denton, The Colony, Little Elm, Lewisville, Carrollton, and Plano all have rescue and adoption centers. For years, the City has told Frisco residents that the only means for an animal shelter to be built was through a bond. So, now is the time for Frisco residents to speak up for those that can’t. Here are the two presentations for you to judge for yourself. Do you want to see a shelter on the upcoming Frisco bond? We welcome your questions and comments. To add, if any of the numbers are confusing, their numbers are Fiscal Year while ours are a Calendar year.