Residents urge keeping county shelter open as officials pitch public‑private partnership and renovation plan

Amelia, a Seguin resident and critical‑care nurse, told commissioners she has "witnessed stomach turning incidents of animal cruelty" and urged the court to keep the Guadalupe County animal shelter open so officers have a local place to seize and care for animals. "Please keep our animal shelter open," she said, adding she has photos and videos that, she said, show animals suffering and that some cruelty reports went uninvestigated.

Why it matters: Public safety and cruelty investigations intersect with animal services because officers may need a local facility to house seized animals and arrange medical care. Commissioners heard competing pressures — emotionally fraught public complaints about neglect and the county’s limited budget and staffing for shelter medical services.

County staff, led by Lieutenant McBride, recommended a public‑private partnership (PPP) to run shelter operations while retaining enforcement under the sheriff. "Our objective is straightforward, to reduce taxpayer burden while improving outcomes and services," McBride said. The presentation said donations and fees currently make up less than 1% of costs and that veterinary care is capped at about $500 annually in the county budget. Staff estimated nonprofit medical models could lower per‑animal medical spending substantially and that a PPP could avoid roughly $236,000–$354,000 per year in future costs by adding grant dollars, adoption revenue and volunteer labor.

Architect Justin Gilmore presented design options for the existing 4,000‑square‑foot intake building and a proposed 6,500‑square‑foot adoption center. Gilmore's schematic estimated roughly $985,000 to renovate the intake building and about $3,000,000 for the new adoption center, plus site utilities and perimeter fencing, yielding an overall estimate near $5.02 million for the site plan. Gilmore described features intended to improve security, animal triage, quarantine and the possibility of in‑house spay/neuter capacity.

Commissioners pressed staff and the architect on timing, capacity and cost projections. One commissioner warned earlier public remarks had been misunderstood as a plan to "get rid of the animal shelter," and Sheriff Ray and staff clarified that animal control functions and statutory enforcement responsibilities would remain with the sheriff’s office regardless of an operational PPP. Staff said a feasibility pilot and an MOU with Kingdom Rescue and outreach to the Humane Society of New Braunfels are already in place to test collaboration.

What the court decided: The court received the presentations, heard public comment and scheduled follow‑up work with stakeholders. No final contract or construction authorization was approved at the meeting; commissioners asked staff for more details, including exact per‑capita calculations, potential contract language and contingency plans if prospective nonprofit partners cannot scale services.

Next steps: Staff will continue feasibility work and bring more concrete contract and budget proposals back to commissioners for review during the budget cycle. The architect said design work can be refined if the court provides direction on whether to renovate the existing facility, build a new adoption center, or pursue a PPP that uses the current site.