COPPERAS COVE, Texas — Tamara Hall has worked with Copperas Cove Animal Control for eleven years. She told 25 News during that time she's seen the need for their services grow tremendously.
"We do find that we are over capacity and stay over capacity, especially with the cats," she said. "As of right now, we have 12 cat cages for the entire city of Copperas Cove."
The city broke ground on a new animal shelter on Friday, which will more than triple that number and almost double the number of kennels for dogs to make room for 70.
"Most of the time we are definitely dealing with more animals than we have the means to provide for," said Copperas Cove Deputy Chief Brian Wyers. "So this shelter is going to provide additional beds for dogs and cats as well."
This $4.5 million project has been seven years in the making and voters of the city approved the new build on the 2021 ballot.
"Man, it's real now finally," said Chief Wyers. "Everything else has been paperwork and contracts, but we're really at the site and it feels good to be at this point."
In addition to being larger, the new facility is also designed in a way that is more calming to the animals housed there.
"The dogs are separated by chain link. In the new facility, it is projected there will be a solid barrier between each which will help decrease the anxiety, the stress, things of that nature that come into play with a shelter environment," Hall said.
The new shelter will be located right behind the Copperas Cove Fire Department and is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.
