Frisco residents call on city officials to add shelter funding to upcoming bond proposal
FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The City of Frisco, with a population of more than 200,000, does not have its own animal shelter, so stray pets are being brought to Collin County Animal Services in McKinney. Residents say this is a big issue, especially when it comes to overcrowding.
Marla Fields has been working to get an animal shelter in Frisco since 2016 and has addressed city leaders and community members multiple times.
"I mean we have everything else in Frisco, why can't we have this?" she said. "We are growing. We're over 200,000."
Monday night she joined residents to ask the citizen's bond committee to encourage putting funding for a shelter in their bond proposal that will be presented to the City Council next Tuesday.
"We are actually are a fully volunteer organization - the Frisco Humane Society - and all of the animals we have are in foster homes," Stephanie Gould said. "In people's homes today and we actually pick up pets that are just left at PetSmart right now because residents are going to drop off the pets if they don't want them or need them anymore and there's nowhere local."
Frisco's police chief has provided a cost estimate which shows construction of a city shelter would cost around $15 million and says the data and costs of building a shelter do not support moving forward.
"I think the residents would disagree with that," Fields said. "Right now, it's just costing taxpayers too much to haul animals over to McKinney."
At this point, the bond committee is recommending putting $5 million towards solving the problem.
If included, the city council will have the final say on whether it goes to voters as part of the bond package for the May general election.
"I really think the citizens rallying together.. I think it is making a difference," Fields said.
Ideally, she would like to see more than $5 million put towards the animal shelter but believes this is a good start.