Grant County Animal Outreach outlines $2.5 million shelter plan, site and capacity

Grant County Animal Outreach representatives updated the Moses Lake City Council on the organization’s planned new animal shelter, saying the group has secured a donated site, partial legislative funding and favorable city land-use feedback as it pursues building permits. Sarah Thompson Tweedy, president of Grant County Animal Outreach, said the site is at 7401 Randolph Road Northeast and that the organization submitted its permit application to the city on July 25. Thompson Tweedy told the council the property was donated and that legislators Rep. Ibarra and Rep. Dent and Sen. Warnick (transcript: Warning) advocated for the project, helping secure roughly $250,000 in legislative funds. She said city staff provided a favorable land-use interpretation that allows the shelter to be built in a heavy industrial zone and that water and sewer availability had been confirmed by the city; she added that construction could begin roughly two weeks after permits are finalized. The organization’s design anticipates approximately 6,200 square feet of conditioned building area, with a total estimated construction cost of $2,500,000 and an estimated 8–10 month build time. The shelter is planned to accommodate up to 120 dogs at maximum capacity (or about 60 if indoor–outdoor individual spaces are used), a 10-space cattery for cats, and an additional 10–20 kennels for animals requiring isolation. The perimeter will be fenced and the site plan includes fenced exercise pens and a meet-and-greet conference/space to give families adequate room to interact with animals prior to adoption. Council members asked about spay/neuter policy and service area. Thompson Tweedy said animals would be spayed or neutered before entering the general population at the facility. She said the shelter serves Grant County but that she could provide a breakdown of how many animals come from Moses Lake versus rural parts of the county. She also said the organization is pursuing cooperative relationships with nearby shelters (Quincy) and that interlocal or intake agreements could be explored to improve service flow. No formal council action was required or taken on the shelter at the meeting; the presentation served as an informational update and an invitation to future groundbreaking ceremonies once permits were in hand.