(Pasco, WA) -- Ground was broken on a new animal shelter in Pasco Wednesday morning. The city, along with Kennewick and Richland went all in and partnered to construct the new facility just yards away from the old, which officials say has exceeded it's useful life. According to officials, the shelter will feature a  pre-engineered, one-story, 9,651-square-foot building situated on a 2.5-acre site, interior kennels for both dogs and cats and separate areas for animals and humans to meet and greet so people can spend some time with their prospective pets. The new shelter, which is on track to open in 2024 will also include exam and isolation rooms for sick and injured animals, our separate fenced play areas outside the building for the animals to play and improved access to 18th Avenue.

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Pasco Interim City Manager Adam Lincoln says. “We especially want to thank our Tri-Cities partners for their support to make this day happen.”

Troubles At The Shelter

While the new shelter had been long planned before the turmoil erupted, it was in November 2021 that former shelter director Rebecca Howard was removed, along with a shelter manager, after 30 cats and four dogs were found to be sick or malnourished. They were both part of an outside group that was operating the shelter. Their administration ended shortly after a police raid that uncovered the sick animals.

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