INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — There’s a brand-new animal shelter in Independence, but it’s now sitting empty because of a dispute over how to pay for its operation,
The new Regional Animal Shelter, a 27,000 square-foot facility at 21001 E. Missouri 78 in rural eastern Independence, offers over triple the space compared to the existing facility. But the City of Independence is still trying to figure out how to pay to operate the shelter after their proposed operating budget was called into question.
According to a report in the Kansas City Star, officials with Jackson County say that Independence’s proposed budget for the facility would not be adequate to operate it as a no-kill facility where animals would only be euthanized in very rare circumstances.
The city says that they are exploring partnering with a non-profit organization to operate the facility, but no formal decision has been made.
The facility was slated to open this month.