Pasco opens new pet adoption center

John Gibson knew exactly what he was looking for when he pulled up in front of Pasco County's new pet adoption center.

He went straight for the puppies. Tuesday was not only the first day the $3.5 million adoption center opened to the public. More importantly for Gibson, it was his son's sixth birthday.

"We came over the weekend, but they didn't have any puppies," he said. That wasn't a problem Tuesday, since Animal Services staff has been moving more adoptable animals into the state-of-the-art facility to prepare for the opening.

A staff member led Gibson through the large, air conditioned dog kennel into the separate puppy room, where he immediately picked out a bulldog mix with a black spot on his left eye. The new adoption center has private rooms with adjacent fenced areas where families can get acquainted with potential adoptees.

"This project has been in the works for 15 years," said John Malley, assistant manager for Animal Services. "We couldn't build it for some reason or another, then when the economy turned, construction costs went down, we could do it. We actually came in under budget and ahead of schedule."

At 12,000 square feet, the new building is about four times the size of the old adoption center. It's bright and full of windows, and each room has a separate air conditioning system that doesn't recirculate the air, so the dogs and cats don't even smell each other. It's healthier for the staff, too, Malley said.

The opening is a big step for Pasco County Animal Services, which had been criticized for its high kill-rate. In November, the county demolished a 70-year-old steel building that once housed adoptions.

"We were a dog pound back then," Malley said. "We've worked very hard to change that image."

The new adoption center has room for 78 dogs, but Malley said he doesn't anticipate keeping more than 40 at a time. Small dogs have a separate room, as do puppies. Cats are housed on the opposite side of the building, where they can romp around in the "Feline Freedom Room" and greet visitors from the lobby.

The shelter is offering half price adoptions in honor of the opening for the next 30 days. The adoption fees include sterilization, de-worming, vaccinations and microchips.