In Spartanburg, tens of millions of dollars will be spent building a new pet information center that officials say will not only rescue stray animals but also help people adopt pets. is. County leaders said Wednesday that stray animals are a big problem and they expect serious damage. It will get worse in the coming years as the region expands. They said the facility, which is more than 26,000 square feet, could help keep the pet population in check. “In the traditional sense of an animal shelter, we're seriously considering storing animals in storage, but that's not what we want to do,” said Spartanburg County Councilwoman Jessica Coker. . “It's not good for the animals. It's not good for the community.” Renderings released by the county show the proposed $24.6 million facility. Officials say there is space for dozens of dogs and cats. However, Coker said the county would like to create financial assistance and a pet food bank program to keep pets at home. She added that the facility will be paid for with $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, with the rest coming from the county's interest income. Jennifer Rand, who runs the nonprofit animal welfare group Monroe's Mighty Mission, hopes the shelter will help control the county's pet population. “The overpopulation of pets is incredible, and I think we need to put more emphasis on spaying and neutering. This facility we're building will help Spartanburg County address this issue in a broader way.” For the past 12 years, the county's dogs and cats have been sent to Greenville County after their contract with the Spartanburg Humane Society ended. Greenville County officials said about 1,500 dogs and cats were sent to the county in 2023. “We knew we had to find a solution, and we went to Greenville County and worked out an agreement with them that was supposed to be temporary,” Coker said. she said. “Twelve years of temporary agreements have gotten us here. We need to do it ourselves.” Coker said the facility will also include a clinic when it opens in late 2025. Mr. Rand said he can't wait for that day. “I think we've lost a little bit of hope in the animal welfare world. This situation is not going to get any better,” Rand said. “We really hope that with the opening of this facility and Spartanburg County taking the lead, the community can really come together and make a difference.” Officials say the new Pet Resource Center will be open next year. He said he plans to start construction. Several months.
Tens of millions of dollars are being spent to build a new pet information center in Spartanburg that officials say will not only rescue stray animals but also help people adopt pets.
County leaders said Wednesday that stray animals are a major problem and are expected to get worse in the coming years as the area expands. They said the facility, which is more than 26,000 square feet, could help keep the pet population in check.
“In the traditional sense of animal shelters, we're really thinking about storing animals in storage, and that's not what we want to do,” said Spartanburg County Councilwoman Jessica Coker. “It's not good for the animals. It's not good for the community.”
A rendering released by the county shows a $24.6 million facility planned. Officials say there is space for dozens of dogs and cats.
However, Coker said the county would like to create financial assistance and a pet food bank program to keep pets at home.
She added that the facility will be paid for with $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, with the rest coming from the county's interest income.
Jennifer Rand, who runs the nonprofit animal welfare group Monroe's Mighty Mission, hopes the shelter will help control the county's pet population.
“The overpopulation of pets is incredible, and I think we need to put more emphasis on spaying and neutering. This facility we're building will help Spartanburg County address this problem in a broader way. “I feel like we're starting to think about it,” Rand said.
For the past 12 years, the county's dogs and cats have been sent to Greenville County after their contract with the Spartanburg Humane Society ended.
Greenville County officials say about 1,500 dogs and cats were sent in in 2023.
“We knew we had to find a solution, and we went to Greenville County and entered into an agreement that was supposed to be tentative,” Coker said. “It's been a 12-year interim agreement that has brought us here. We need to do it ourselves.”
Coker said the facility will also include a medical clinic when it opens in late 2025.
Rand said she can't wait for that day.
“I think we've lost a little bit of hope in the animal welfare world. This situation is not going to get any better,” Rand said. “I really hope that with the opening of this facility and Spartanburg County taking the lead, our community can really come together and make a difference.”
Officials said they plan to break ground on the new pet resource center in the coming months.
