Government
BY KEVIN VU
BARC animal shelter officials proposed starting construction for a new animal shelter and looking into nonprofit partnerships to help the organization’s operations during the March 17 Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting. During the meeting, BARC Director Jarrad Mears said Houston’s animal shelter does not have the funding or space to adequately achieve desired outcomes such as public safety and live releases. Voters approved a $47 million bond in 2022 to construct a new nearly 61,000-square- foot shelter with an additional 150 kennels and new staff. Mears said the design for the project is finished and BARC is starting the process to begin construction. However, as of March 19, there is no set start date for the project. BARC proposes new shelter, funding source
Also of note
Assessing the need
According to a March 1 update, BARC officials said the shelter saw nearly 2,000 more animal intakes in 2024 than in previous years. BARC’s Director of Communications Cory Stottlemyer said that the shelter is nearly at full capacity with 396 animals. Stottlemyer said the reasons for less intake but higher euthanasia rates last year have to do with a drop in rescue outcomes and a rise in more feral and aggressive strays. BARC Animal Shelter intake, release rate* Total intake Adoption Euthanasia 27,048 7,722 2,952 20,323 4,854 909 17,914 3,387 966 17,533 3,912 2,284 19,209 4,393 2,890 20,875 5,316 3,541 SOURCE: BARC ANIMAL SHELTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT *CHART DOES NOT INCLUDE NUMBERS FOR OTHER CATEGORIES, SUCH AS RETURN TO OWNERS, LIVE RELEASES OR TRANSFERS.
Mears said BARC needs to increase fundraising, citing that the shelter receives less funding per capita than any other Texas city. BARC’s budget is nearly $16 million, but with a 2.3 million population that’s growing every year, BARC only receives $6.75 funding per capita, while other cities get more: • San Antonio receives $14.44 per capita.
• Dallas receives $14.07 per capita. • Austin receives $17.92 per capita. • Fort Worth receives $11.84 per capita.
According to the presentation, BARC explored two different funding models through a feasibility study: local government corporations, also known as LGCs, and public/nonprofit partnerships. An LGC is a corporation created to act on behalf of one or more local governments to accomplish any governmental purpose of those local governments, according to the state’s transportation code. The Houston Zoo and Houston First are LGCs. However, Mears said this funding model isn’t ideal for BARC, as the shelter would need seed money—initial funding to begin operations—to operate as an LGC, with that money having to come out of BARC’s “already insufficient budget.” Mears said there are no shelters in Houston that run as an LGC, but instead, run as nonprofits. Mears recommended the shelter pursue part- nerships with nonprofit animal welfare shelters through multiple phases: • Phase 1: Find an experienced nonprofit animal welfare partner for an outreach retail center to provide pet services to the public such as groom- ing, wellness and accessories. • Phase 2: If successful, BARC could transition to an LGC.
BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions
C O L L I NG S W O R T H
BARC Houston Foster & Surgery Pickup
EVELLA ST.
New Shelter
BARC Houston Foster Pickup
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SOURCE: BARC ANIMAL SHELTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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