Virginia Beach animal control caretaker Laura Monroe washes down the small dog kennel area Thursday morning. A February outbreak of the deadly parvo virus forced the euthanization of 24 dogs. (Stephen M. Katz | The Virginian-Pilot)
VIRGINIA BEACH
In the wake of public outcry over conditions at the city pound, some City Council members want a replacement plan to quickly move forward.
Deterioration of the 1974 facility has made it hard to control an outbreak of parvovirus, or parvo, which has forced the euthanization of at least two dozen dogs.
Councilman Jim Wood said he wants the shelter project put out to bid in the next 60 days, with construction starting in six months.
“It’s an aggressive but realistic schedule,” he said.
Animal advocates packed City Hall on Tuesday night to complain about the condition of the shelter. State inspectors cited the city twice in the last year for the shelter’s cracked floors and walls and porous surfaces that trap viruses and prevent proper disinfection.
“We’ve got to fast track this as fast as government can go,” Councilman Bob Dyer said of a new pound. “We have to show we’re capable of action.”
Other council members said a lack of money and competing priorities could slow the project.
“When I start hearing about the range of cost, it concerns me,” Mayor Will Sessoms said. “We do need something for the animals, but we’ve got an area of the city that needs a building for children, too.”
He was referring to a proposed $30 million recreation center near the Lake Edward neighborhood in the Bayside district, which is unfunded.
Sessoms said he’d like to explore a public-private partnership to improve the pound. Officials estimate a state-of-the-art animal shelter could cost between $7.5 and $15 million.
Deputy City Manager Dave Hansen said fast tracking the project will require the City Council to budget the money.
Wood said funds could be taken from projects that are funded but aren’t ready for construction.
“There are always some of those,” he said, adding that he will discuss his ideas at next week’s budget meeting.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
Residents urge council to replace decrepit animal shelter
VIRGINIA BEACH
Animal advocates, worried and angry about rundown conditions at the city pound, pleaded with the City Council on Tuesday night to move faster with plans to replace the shelter.
A deadly and highly contagious virus that has spread through the 1974 facility has forced the euthanization of 24 dogs so far.
“This shelter has been ignored for 30 years,” Maida Gutterman, secretary of the Friends of Virginia Beach Animal Control, told council members at a budget hearing. “Now is the time to step up and make this a priority.”
Speaker after speaker urged the council to act swiftly before more dogs die of parvo virus, or parvo. Council members listened but did not respond to concerns raised.
“I don’t detect a sense of urgency,” resident Jimmy Frost said. “I’ve heard enough excuses. The shelter is long overdue.”
State inspectors cited the pound twice in the past year for “overall structural deterioration” that “impedes adequate disinfection.”
The most recent warning, in November, came three months before the parvo outbreak at the cinderblock-and-concrete building.
Parvo, which has no cure, kills dogs quickly through dehydration. It’s spread through feces and can live in the cracks in walls and floors for up to a year. In addition to structural deterioration, the facility’s antiquated design doesn’t allow animals and their waste to be separated properly.
Some funds have been set aside to design a new shelter, but no money is earmarked for construction, which could range from $7.5 million to $15 million. A plan to pay for a new shelter with animal registration fees has not generated as much money as expected.
“Animals are dying because of the condition of the building,” said Leigh Penner, president of the Friends group. “It’s a blight on the city.”
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
