Animal control shelter ready for construction

City will partner with Waterford, East Lyme and double size of Bates Woods kennel

New London — The City Council this week formalized a partnership with the towns of East Lyme and Waterford for a regional animal control shelter.

Initial plans show the city’s existing facility at Bates Woods Park doubling in size from 14 to 28 dog kennels.

The city is preparing to issue a request for proposals for the facility and the projected $250,000 price tag is being shouldered by the town of Waterford.

Town leaders from Waterford and East Lyme, which share an animal control officer who is an East Lyme employee, already have signed off on an interlocal agreement.

Mayor Michael Passero, who heralded the agreement as another successful regionalization effort, said Monday’s vote by the City Council was the final step in the process.

“Everything that needs to be approved is approved,” Passero said.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring. Passero said he expects the city to save money through “efficiencies” that include shared expenses.

Aside from the addition, little is expected to change initially at the shelter, since Waterford and East Lyme have used New London’s facility for the past year, New London Animal Control Officer Tonya Kloiber said.

East Lyme and Waterford share costs of an animal control officer and a part-time employee and had used Waterford’s facility on Avery Lane until conditions there deteriorated enough for a move-out last year. New London employs two full-time animal control officers.

Seven dogs were housed at the facility this week, including two in special quarantine kennels.

The number of animals at the facility fluctuates week to week, and dogs are not the only guests. There is also separate space allotted for cats. Kloiber, in her 16 years with the city, said she’s seen everything from rabbits and reptiles to gerbils and birds. She recalls one instance when she recovered 18 pet rats that were deposited in a garbage bin when someone moved out of their apartment. There was another time she recovered abandoned caged finches.

As part of the expansion, Kloiber is hoping for a bit more space to house equipment.

The current facility was renovated in 2012 after it was damaged during Superstorm Sandy. The city spent about $160,000 at that time. Renovations increased the size of the facility and brought it up to fire code.

The city’s Public Works and Finance departments will oversee the

bid process and upcoming construction.

Public Works Director Brian Sear said he expects to essentially replicate what exists in the building: indoor kennel spaces with fenced-in outdoor areas. He said there also will be room to expand by another 14 kennels, should more towns look to partner. Montville had at one point been part of the shelter consolidation discussions.

Sear said part of the construction project will include connecting the building to water, natural gas and sewer lines. The building now uses propane heat and a septic system.

Each town is to share equally in the monthly maintenance and utility costs, along with animal food, repairs, equipment and care of the animals. Veterinary, adoption and advertising expenses for individual animals, however, will be paid by the communities where each animal originated.

The towns jointly are expected to work out euthanasia and adoption policies once the expansion is completed.

The City Council praised the efforts of the city to work with neighboring towns. Councilor Efrain Dominguez called it a “great idea” that sets an example for other towns and shows that “being able to regionalize is possible.”

New London has partnered with Waterford and East on two other initiatives. Waterford and New London are working toward consolidation of emergency dispatch services. All three towns have worked out an agreement to grant full arrest powers to certain narcotics officers to operate across town lines.

“I think one misconception among the public is how difficult it is, both legally and (practically), to consolidate services across town lines,” Passero said. “I think New London in this area is leading the way.”