Lubbock Assistant City Manager Quincy White said he supports the current idea of the city operating two animal shelters.
"I would advocate that would be a long term decision," White said.
Currently, the old animal shelter has 80 animals. Most of the animals are sick and are in the quarantine area. The new adoption center houses 117 animals.
Mayor Tom Martin also justified operating two facilities.
"Originally we had a $3 million anonymous donor to help with the public money to help build the new shelter," he said. "That was later reduced to a $1.5 million donation, so we had to cut the size of it back because of the reduced money," Martin said. "We still have plans to expand that facility, but it will have to wait on additional funding, which may take several years to come up with."
White also said there was another reason to continue operating the old facility.
"One of the things we found out really early during the transition was the major advantage of leaving the sick animals at the old shelter," he said.
However, what's the price tag for running two facilities?
"We don't have any additional employees," Martin said. "It is still the same number of people total with animal services."
"We are currently doing that with the same budget," White said.
City reps said both shelters are being operated with a $1.5 million dollar budget.
"The other thing that happened during that time, quite frankly, is the number of animals we were picking up," White said.
A city report shows kennel intake for Lubbock Animal Services in 2010 was more than 15,000. In 2011 that number jumped by 1,000. The city in 2011 also euthanised more than 5,000 dogs and close to 4,000 cats.
"It is kind of the victim of success," Martin said. "Since we have opened the adoption center we have adopted many more animals then we used too at the old facility."
Martin said he even brought home a new dog from the adoption center.
"His name is Max," he said. "He is a Cairn Terrier."
The bottom line is the unexpected plan of running two facilities will continue, until more money surfaces that can be used to expand the new shelter.
