West Hartford residents asking for progress on new animal control building

Residents in West Hartford are asking the town to make progress on a new animal control building.

"Our dogs are the most vulnerable population that we have,” said Debbie Sheridan of West Hartford.

Sheridan is a dog behavior trainer, spending a lot of time at the animal control office.
She says the town is in desperate need for a new office, citing poor conditions for humans and animals alike.

It's been a well-documented need for years that residents and the town alike have acknowledged. A 2021-22 budget report explained the shelter has significantly deteriorated, with issues surrounding fencing, hot water, drainage, and other infrastructure. The report says it doesn't meet the basic mandatory state standards for animal shelters.

"It just needs to end. They need to start to build. They need to do this for the dogs,” Sheridan said.
In the winter, the town shared plans to put the new office on their recently purchased land, on 705 Oakwood Ave. and 12 Brixton Street. This would be in addition to developing other projects on the public works campus. This is a change from a 2022 initial plan to rebuild on the current site.
"Time and time again, it's pushed to the bottom, you know? Oh, well, we're working on this new thing or working on that new thing,” said Sheridan. “We don't want the pound to be moved to another site, because then we're starting all over again.”
Town Manager Rick Ledwith says the town is in the process of designing and building the new animal control building, with $2 million in funding set aside for construction.
He says there have been moving parts on the public works campus that impact the exact location of the facility like the new transfer station, fuel station, fire training tower, and public safety training facility.
“As things are becoming clearer with the transfer station we are now ready to move forward with the final location and construction of the animal control facility as well as the other projects,” Ledwith said.
He says the project should be ready for bids in the fall with construction starting in early 2025, sharing an updated timeline in a few weeks.
It's a next step Sheridan says hopes happens sooner rather than later.

"Whatever is going on. This needs to be the priority, for a change,” she said.

Source: NBC Connecticut