Council Evaluates Pod-Based Expansion for Animal Shelter Facilities

The San Angelo City Council on Dec. 2 reviewed a proposal to shift the planned renovation of the city’s Animal Shelter toward constructing new kennel pod facilities, citing cost challenges, updated industry standards and newly discovered electrical system limitations.

Although no action was taken, the shelter staff seek for direction on moving forward with design work for the revised plan.

Earlier Design Halted by Infrastructure Problems

The presentation was led by Animal Services Manager Amanda Weddle and Construction Manager Alfonso Torres, who both outlined how earlier plans for a large-scale remodel became increasingly impractical. 

The original design called for a full overhaul of the exhaust system, lowering ceilings in the large dog kennel area, dividing the space into smaller sections, replacing failing trench drains, updating the cat area and laboratory, and constructing a new garage intake space.

However, progress stalled after the discovery of fire alarm issues and, later, a significant electrical concern. Freese and Nichols (F&N), the firm handling design work, determined that the shelter’s electrical capacity had been overestimated. 

The adjacent Rescue Facility had been connected to the same transformer as the Animal Shelter, leaving the transformer undersized for the remodel—especially for powering the new Dedicated Outside Air System. A change order has been prepared to replace the transformer.

As the electrical issue emerged, staff also evaluated the project’s temporary housing needs. The cost of building a temporary structure capable of accommodating the shelter’s animals during construction significantly exceeded available funding.

“For that same level of investment, the City could instead begin constructing permanent facilities on the current shelter grounds,” staff wrote in their report to council. The change in feasibility prompted staff to reassess whether continuing with the remodel was the most effective use of the budget.

Proposal Shifts to Modern Kennel Pod Model

During the meeting, Weddle said updated best practices in shelter design support transitioning to smaller, self-contained kennel pods with direct outdoor access rather than renovating the existing large kennel building. 

Under the proposed model, each pod would house 20 to 25 kennels, with guillotine doors opening to individual outdoor runs.

“Regarding the pods, you want to think of them as dorms,” Weddle said. “Each would house about 20–25 kennels that would establish outdoor/indoor areas for the dogs. These would improve air flow for the animals as well as the humans, sanitation would be easier, and it would reduce disease spread. You would have open air flow through guillotine doors, you would have outside access to sunlight, which also helps with health improvement of the animal. Overall, it’s going to be less of a burden as far as maintenance because you’re not going to have one big system managing all 120 kennels—you’re going to have 25 kennels per section.”

Weddle emphasized that the shift in design would not increase the shelter’s dog capacity. San Angelo’s shelter is capped at 140 dogs, reduced from earlier totals.

“That goes to the size of care versus size of building,” she said. “Just because we put in more kennels do we have the staff and the time in the day to properly care for additional animals. We want to make sure that we are meeting the national standard of 15 minutes a day per animal, and in order to do that with the current staffing that we have, the 140 that we have reduced it to is the best, accurate number.”

Torres also noted that additional pods could be added in the future if funding becomes available.

Cost, Funding, and Phase Timeline Outlined

The city currently has $2,030,028 budgeted for the project. Construction of each kennel pod is estimated at $350,000 to $500,000, putting the cost of four pods between $1.4 million and $2 million. The revised concept also includes new walking paths, shade structures and dedicated spaces for meet-and-greet visits between dogs and potential adopters.

The proposed project would unfold in phases. A four-month design period led by F&N is expected to conclude by May 2026. Construction of three kennel pods, sidewalks and landscaping would follow and take an estimated six months. The fourth pod could be built during the same phase or added later in a two-month second phase.

A future third phase would involve evaluating a new administration building. Weddle said that facility would include the shelter’s cat housing, which is not addressed in the kennel pod project. The timeline for that phase would depend on council direction, operational needs and available funding.

No action was taken on the agenda item.