The committee tasked with selecting a new location for the animal shelter in Chatham has made its choice.
The group is recommending the facility be built on the same piece of property as the current Park Ave. E. location. Co-chair of the fundraising committee Marjorie Crew says the location is on an existing bus route, it's fully serviced, and has an established history at the location.
"The plan is that that (current) building would stay there until we were done building, and that would be the parking lot area," says Crew. "Obviously we're not going to kick them out on the street and we're recommending that it's going to be municipally-owned and operated." She adds the current building is owned by the municipality.
Crew says the new facility is estimated to cost $2-million, with no taxpayer dollars going toward the build. Previous designs by the OSPCA for a new shelter would see the facility end up almost six times the size of the current building.
The recommendations will be presented to council at Monday's meeting, and needs approval to move forward. Chatham-Kent Council gave its blessing in November to form the fundraising committee and bring back recommendations.
