Animal shelter often operates at or near capacity

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Dogs being held in the Fort Scott Animal Shelter look through the fence of their holding area Friday morning. The shelter is operating at full capacity. The Shirley Yeager Animal Friends organization is currently in negotiations with the city of Fort Scott to construct a new shelter. --Michael Pommier/Herald-Tribune

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Location complications could put a halt on plans for a new animal shelter.

The Shirley Yeager Animal Friends organization has been working for the past 10 years to build a new animal shelter to replace the current facility. Kathy Dancer, member of the Shirley Yeager Animal Friends organization, said finding an acceptable location has been the main issue.

Dancer has been working in conjunction with the city to find a location on city property to house a new shelter. She said their goals are for the shelter to be accessible to the public, not be located in the flood plain, and to hook up to the city's sewer and water system. She added the city has given suggestions, however they have not been acceptable locations.

The SYAF organization has decided to look into purchasing land rather than finding a donated location. Dancer said they would like to purchase 13.7 acres located at Jayhawk Road and Liberty Bell Road which is currently owned by the Faith Christian Church.

In order to use the land for the shelter, it must be re-zoned as a C-3 property.

Dancer approached the Planning Commission Monday, March 23, to request the re-zoning. Dancer's request was denied because the property is located in the projected growth area created in the comprehensive plan, according to Crystal Mason, chairwoman of the Planning Commission.

"We feel the growth of Fort Scott will come in that location," Mason said.

Dancer and Mason both said the owner of the property was in attendance at the Planning Commission meeting and stated that the SYAF's offer is the only serious offer they have received in the two years the property has been on the market.

The next day Dancer approached the Fort Scott City Commission during a regular business meeting to ask them to not uphold the Planning Commission's recommendation to not re-zone the property.

"We're hoping the city reconsiders and allows us to do this for them," Dancer said.

Dancer said the current facility was not built to be an animal shelter. She said the shelter's capacity is approximately 15 dogs depending on the size and condition of the dogs. Currently, 12 dogs are being held. The facility takes in approximately 400 dogs per year and is currently operating at a 50 percent euthanasia rate, she said. The current facility has no suitable location for the euthanasia of the dogs.

"This is truly a pound ... we want an animal shelter," Dancer said.

According to Dancer, many people have approached her saying they will volunteer if a new facility is constructed. She added most people do not want to volunteer at the current facility because its condition is "depressing".

"We want a nicer, cleaner, more suitable shelter," Dancer said.

The new facility is planned to have a capacity of 30 dogs as well as isolation areas for dogs that are sick or unsocial. It would also have landscaping around the facility to make it more attractive as well as to reduce noise, Dancer said.

The issue of building a new animal shelter has been going on for 10 years.

The first attempt to find a location occurred in 1999 when Dancer's mother approached the city. After that endeavor proved unsuccessful, the organization focused its efforts on the redemption and adoption of the dogs.

In 2004, a second attempt was made by the SYAF organization to find a location and came up unsuccessful again. Dancer began pursuing a new location a third time last July.

Dancer said that if the city decides to uphold the Planning Commission's decision and does not provide an "acceptable alternative" the SYAF organization will put its efforts toward new projects such as the creation of a spaying and neutering program, a feral cat program, and a vaccination program.

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