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Leadership Mission unveils plan to beautify Mission Animal Shelter with mural, landscaping and community event
Summary
Leadership Mission’s Class 40 proposed a mural, landscaping and a community launch at the Mission Animal Shelter; the group said local classes and nonprofits will contribute funding, volunteer hours and artist services.
Leadership Mission presented a multi-part beautification project for the Mission Animal Shelter during the City of Mission council meeting, proposing a large mural, landscaping and a community unveiling to increase shelter visibility and encourage adoptions.
The proposal, presented by Chrissy Gonzales, president of Leadership Mission, and project team leader Nicole Gutierrez, would place a mural on the west-facing warehouse wall of the shelter and add plantings, signage and a community launch event timed with an existing fall festival called “Pumpkins and Paws.” “Our vision here … is 3 fold. We wanna go ahead and present the idea of bringing a mural onto the grounds as well as providing some sort of landscaping with our budget and even, launching it with a community event,” Gutierrez told the council.
Why it matters: Leadership Mission said the effort aims to make the shelter less intimidating for first-time visitors, increase community engagement and drive adoptions. The presenters said improving visibility from the road and beautifying the entrance will help the shelter “be put on the map.”
Details and timeline: Gutierrez said a west-facing wall of roughly “a 30 by 70 foot wall” is the target and that a local artist has proposed a design with an estimated durability of about 10 years before touch-up; she noted the sample rendering shown to the council was created with AI. The group said groundwork began in late June, that commissioning and site preparation would proceed through July–September, and that an unveiling and community event are planned for October.
Funding and partners: Leadership Mission said classes 39, 40 and 41 are contributing funds raised through class activities and that the project is a collaboration with Mission Parks and Recreation, Mission Health Department, Keep Mission Beautiful and the Upper Valley Art League. Gutierrez and Gonzales said a commissioned local artist agreed to the scope; specific dollar figures for the mural, materials or the artist commission were not provided.
Council response and next steps: Councilwoman Jessica Ortega thanked the volunteers and said she would meet with the project team individually. The presenters said they meet biweekly and will share meeting dates and additional logistics with councilmembers who asked to attend. No formal council action or funding request was made at the meeting.
Community note: Presenters emphasized volunteer involvement—Leadership Mission members reported prior volunteer shifts at the shelter, adoptions by members and coordination with shelter staff. The group described the project as multi-phase and invited further collaboration from city departments and community groups.
