Animal Services Manager Amanda Weddle described a plan to replace the shelter’s failing large-dog kennel with smaller, modular "pod" buildings that provide indoor‑outdoor access, improved airflow and simpler sanitation. “Each would house about 20 to 25 kennels,” Weddle said, adding that the design is intended to reduce disease spread and make the animals easier for the public to meet.

Council and staff said about $2 million in funds are available to begin work. Construction managers told council the three‑pod first phase would be designed in roughly four months; staff estimated the design/admin cost at about $350,000 and construction of pods in the range of $1.4 million to $2.0 million, with a goal to reach nearer $1.5 million per phase where possible.

Council members pressed on capacity and operations. Weddle said the pods would not increase the shelter’s routine intake ceiling given current staffing levels but would improve animal health and adoption potential. She explained the city’s operational capacity target is 140 dogs and that some existing kennels are out of service due to drainage and flooding; staff expect 96 general‑admission runs after full pod buildout plus continued isolation, quarantine and puppy wards.

Resident Tiffany Watson told council social media videos she posted had driven adoptions and urged the city to reduce adoption fees and increase promotion. “If the city builds a new shelter in town…a shelter with ventilation, drains that work, faucets with actual water pressure, a yard for the dogs…It would make all the difference,” she said. Watson also sharply criticized frequent, sometimes unpublicized euthanasia practices at the shelter and called for greater transparency.

Mayor Tom Thompson and several council members said they preferred spending on durable, permanent facilities over temporary off‑site solutions. Staff requested direction to proceed with hiring engineers, firming costs and returning with refined estimates; council provided that direction.

Next steps: staff will proceed with design work, refine costs and return to council with an updated budget and timeline (council asked for periodic status briefings during the design phase).