Joint Animal Services reports rising intakes, unveils $33M–$41.5M facility concept and funding gaps

Joint Animal Services reported rising animal intakes and field responses in 2024 and presented a revised facility concept with an estimated total cost that could range from about $33 million to $41.5 million, the agency’s executive director told the Olympia City Council on March 18.

Sarah Hawk, executive director of Joint Animal Services, summarized the agency’s 2024 year, including volunteer and veterinary-care milestones and a space-needs study that produced a preferred building concept and several funding scenarios. "This was all done with our full time veterinarian, our full time veterinary assistant," Hawk said when describing the first full year of having an on-site veterinary medical team.

The report said agency intake totaled 3,305 animals in 2024, with a near 28% increase in dogs (about 300 more dogs year over year). Joint Animal Services reported more than 140 volunteers averaging about 40 hours each (equivalent to roughly 2.7 full-time employees). In its new in-house veterinary suite, the shelter completed more than 1,200 spay/neuter surgeries, about 2,200 exams and 64 other surgical procedures last year.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for detail because the shelter’s existing building is functionally limited and cannot support additional staff or programming that could keep pets out of the shelter. Hawk warned the current facility will not meet the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ highest standards of care so long as the agency remains in the present building.

Key program and case examples

Hawk highlighted the shelter medical team and foster network as reasons for improved outcomes. She described an individual medical case — a dog named Cinder — that required three life‑saving surgeries, including an amputation and a spay to treat a pyometra; Cinder recovered in a foster home and was later adopted by a friend of that foster caregiver.

The presentation also described a multi‑animal welfare response in which officers found more than 40 Great Pyrenees mixes on a property with inadequate shelter. Joint Animal Services implemented a staged surrender and placement plan so rescues could take dogs gradually; staff said the owner kept eight original dogs after the agency ensured spay/neuter care for those animals.

Facility concept, space and cost estimates

Hawk said the capital planning process began with larger concepts (roughly 27,000–30,000 sq. ft.) and was value‑engineered down to just under 20,000 sq. ft. The revised floor plan would include indoor–outdoor dog kennels, play yards, a public lobby and an in‑building veterinary clinic (the agency currently operates clinic services from a modular unit).

She presented a cost breakdown that showed building construction estimates of about $15 million to $17 million, plus site acquisition, site development and soft costs (equipment, FF&E and contingencies). Those line items produced a total project estimate ranging from about $33 million to $41.5 million, a variance Hawk attributed to site selection and the depth of equipment/soft costs chosen for the project.

Funding and next steps

Joint Animal Services told the council it has about $1 million available in reserves for site acquisition or early design work and has submitted a regional request of $2 million to the state for design/build assistance. Hawk said the agency is exploring roughly $500,000 in additional grant funding and expects sale of the current site and local donations to contribute; she stressed that a substantial funding gap remains at the higher end of the cost estimates.

The agency also noted the interlocal agreement (ILA) among the four jurisdictions currently prescribes per‑capita repayment of any debt for a project. Hawk said jurisdictions will need to discuss the ILA and consider other financing tools — including bonds or a potential animal control district mechanism previously introduced in the Legislature (Representative Parsley’s bill did not pass cutoff this session).

Hawk said JASCOM has asked jurisdictional partners to appoint staffing representatives to help develop a financial plan and that the agency will continue to pursue grants and local funding options.

Council questions and community implications

Council members asked about outdoor space, location, transit access and impacts on neighborhood sites; Hawk said the preferred program includes indoor/outdoor kennels and play yards and was designed to allow staged growth (clinic expansion or public services could be added later). She said the agency is looking for 3–5 acres that provide both access and reasonable buffering from residential neighbors.

Hawk repeatedly framed expanded space as a prerequisite for program growth (expanded pet‑food pantry, more robust resource programs and additional staff) that the agency expects will reduce shelter intakes over time.

Ending

Council members expressed support for advancing planning and said they would expect follow‑up discussions about financing, site options and ILA adjustments. Hawk closed by asking jurisdictions to participate in a working group to refine the funding strategy and timeline.