Escambia County animal welfare director urges new shelter to expand capacity, programs; board questions $34M price tag

John Robinson, director of the Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare, told the Community Redevelopment Agency on Sept. 4 that the county’s current shelter is outdated and that a new facility would increase capacity, improve animal care and support expanded community programs.

Robinson said the proposed design would raise functional dog kennel capacity from 105 to 168 and would provide expanded cat housing, clinical space for veterinarians and vet techs, separate intake and treatment rooms, pod-based housing to reduce cross-contamination and climate control throughout the building. “I think we’re probably overdue for a new facility that meets the needs of what we have in this community,” Robinson said.

The presentation described program goals beyond housing: a part-time veterinarian and vet tech (positions approved in the budget but not yet filled), low-cost spay/neuter services, expanded trap‑neuter‑return for community cats, a pet food pantry (Robinson said Jojo’s Paws helped about 2,400 families last year), volunteer and foster support space, a reentry training program for inmate crews, and a larger staging/storage area for disaster response…