Pasco County animal-services officials presented a request to build a veterinary resource center to expand low-cost veterinary services for residents, increase on-site medical capacity at the shelter and provide additional administrative space.

Why it matters: Staff said affordable veterinary care is a top need for households struggling with pet-care costs and that expanding medical capacity would support the county's no-kill and Save 90 programs by increasing surgical and treatment capacity.

Mike Shumate, director of animal services, said the countyacility, built in 2011, predates the county's Save 90 no-kill program; the department has grown from about 32 staff to 57 and now employs two full-time veterinarians and seven veterinary technicians. Shumate said the proposal calls for a two-story veterinary clinic with the upper floor used for administration; the facility would expand publicly available low-cost vaccination and sterilization services that staff said have shown high demand when offered.

Representative Steele raised concerns about competition with private veterinary clinics; Shumate said county clinics provide preventive services and sterilizations to owners for whom private care is unaffordable and that local veterinarians have not objected because the client bases differ. Staff asked the delegation to consider capital support to build the facility.

Ending: County staff invited the delegation to tour the existing clinic and said they will return with project cost details; commissioners thanked staff and indicated interest in funding options.