The site of the old “Pink Elephant” building on Riverdale Avenue will be home to Shelton’s new animal shelter.
The Board of Aldermen Thursday voted to let the Animal Shelter Building Committee move forward with plans for the new facility on the property, which is next to the current shelter.
“Now we can move forward planning the site and building,” said Gerry Craig, the vice chairman for the Animal Shelter Building Committee.
The committee has been evaluating sites for the past four years, Craig said.
The chosen site is home to an abandoned state impound garage, which was painted pink during its heyday.
It’s not clear why or exactly when the building got its nickname — the “Pink Elephant” — according to committee member A.J. Grasso.
The Need
Committee members said the city needs a new facility because the current building is outdated — it was built in 1973 — and “in disrepair.”
The building also has only 20 dog kennels and no room for cats.
The new facility will be “much larger,” with 33 dog kennels and a facility to house cats as well, Craig said.
“We want to propose a building able to handle the city’s needs,” Craig said.
Those needs include an influx of dogs being abandoned in Shelton, according to Animal Control Officer Sheryl Taylor.
“For every one that goes out, more come in,” Taylor said. “They’re being dumped in the city. Being left at the shelter.”
Taylor said just this week, the shelter took in seven dogs. Only two of them were picked up by their owners.
The others had no tags. Some are dropped off at the shelter in the middle of the night, Taylor said.
“If they’re roaming, why aren’t people calling for them?” she asked.
The Plans
The Board of Aldermen’s approval Thursday was for the location only.
The building committee will now have to develop and get approval for building plans at that site.
It’s not clear if those plans will involve using the old structure, or building new.
Grasso presented a draft plan with a new 5,000 square-foot building, including a garage, and about 4,500 square feet of kennel space at the site where the old storage building now sits.
However, in a letter to the Board of Aldermen, building committee chairman Anthony Minopoli said the committee might be able to use the “Pink Elephant” building as a basis for a new shelter to save money.
The committee wants to include a “meeting room,” where people interested in adopting a pet can meet with the dog in a more natural environment.
“We’re trying to layout a building that is both cost effective and inviting to the public,” he said. “A lot of people in the public think animals in the shelters are damaged goods. It’s quite the contrary.”
No price tag has been set for the construction yet, Craig said.
The committee wants to keep it below $1 million, which is what other towns have paid to construct new facilities, Craig said.