Volunteer Joan Pacheco plays with a dog in the new facility.
After years in the planning and fundraising stages, volunteers and members of the capital project committee that ushered the project to fruition welcomed the public to tour the facility after a ceremonial ribbon cutting officially opened the town’s state-of-the-art no-kill shelter.
“As you all know, we were in desperate need of a new animal shelter,” said Police Chief Josue Canario.
Comparing the former shelter that deteriorated and outlived its effectiveness to the new facility, Chief Canario described the new animal shelter as “something somewhat of a resort. It’s what we envisioned,” he said.
Chief Canrio, whose department includes the animal control division, is chairman of the capital projects committee, with John Lannan acting as vice chairman. They were joined by other CPC members, Harold Tucker, town treasurer, Julie Goucher, and Director of Community Planning Diane Williamson, to cut the purple ribbon held by animal control staff.
Bristol resident Mary Kay Wright was part of a small group of civic-minded residents who saw the need for a new animal shelter and decided to help make it happen. For her, the ribbon cutting ceremony was the end of a six-year journey.
“All you had to do was take a look at the shelter we had. We couldn’t allow that situation,” she said.
She, along with other members of the Friends of Bristol Animal Shelter, led the charge to get get voters to pass a $2 million bond to pay for the project.
State Rep. Raymond Gallison was also instrumental in getting the bond on the ballot in 2008. He introduced the bond proposal into the House. State Sen. Walter Felag introduced it into the Senate.
“No one ever believed we’d get the bond passed,” Rep. Gallison said. “A lot of volunteers came together and stood at the polls with their dogs and cats. It was overwhelmingly passed.”
Town Council Chairwoman Mary Parella was a council member when the animal shelter project began. Despite the lapse of time, she was satisfied with the result.
“Wow. We’re finally here,” she said. “It’s been a long road.”
The “sometimes rocky, sometimes controversial road” she said, arrived at “a safe and wonderful place for the animals and a safe and wonderful place for the staff.”
She credited the animal control staff for their efforts, regardless of the building they operated from.
“Even in the condition it was in,” Ms. Parella said of the former town animal shelter, “it won many awards. They all had the vision to pursue this and make sure we had a humane center.”
Besides having vision, the volunteers who drove the project to completion also raised money. During the grand opening, development Chairwoman Betty Brito handed a $100,000 check to Town Administrator Tony Teixeira. The volunteer efforts have generated $225,000 so far to help defray the costs of many of the amenities found inside the structure.
One of the largest singular gifts to the shelter was made by the Brito family, a $10,000 donation to help pay for the humane education center, where the grand opening celebration was held.
“To keep this room in the project was very important to us,” Ms. Brito said. “It will pay for itself in goodwill. It gives the shelter longevity.”
Although occupied and officially functioning as the town’s animal shelter, the facility is only at 85 percent completion, Chief Canario said. Outside, there is site work and landscaping to be completed and the contractors will have a “punch list” of odd jobs and finish work that needs to be wrapped up before the capital project committee is disbanded. Mr. Lannan, the CPC vice chairman, will usher the contractors through the final stage of completion.
“It’s a beautiful building, state-of-the art. We set the bar (for other shelters). There’s a ‘wow’ factor when you walk in,” Mr. Lannan said.
But after “a few battles” along the way, Mr. Lannan continues to be a stewart for the time and money invested by many.
“It’s not all town money. I’ll pay attention to the close-out and hold people to the schedule.” Then, he said, “I’ll be here to pet the animals.”