Friends start plans for animal shelter expansion

The Friends of the Jacksboro Animal Shelter is a little closer to realizing their dream of improving and expanding the animal shelter.

President Kim Gibby announced this week the organization received a $20,000 grant from the JES Edwards Foundation. The Friends had received $8,000 grants each of the previous 2 years, but Gibby said she decided to request more this year.

The group is trying to acquire the property in front of the shelter on Highway 380 West to give the shelter more visibility. The members hope to expand the shelter to host more animals.

Jacksboro City Manager Mike Smith said there could soon be a greater need for space at the shelter as he has been talking with City of Bryson officials about possibly allowing use of the Jacksboro Animal Shelter to help with Bryson’s animal control issues.

“They asked could we consider a mutual aid agreement or memorandum of understanding. It would be based on available space, of course,” Smith told the Friends at a meeting Tuesday.

This was the Friends first meeting attended by new Jacksboro Animal Control Officer Chris Mahar who started this week.

Smith said he would soon sit down with the Friends to discuss whether a new shelter is built near the existing shelter or consider an addition to the shelter.

“A lot will come down to a dollar figure,” he said.

Despite the infusion from the grant, Gibby said the Friends will soon kick-start fundraising for the project. The Friends are looking for in-kind donations of material or services and will begin a fundraising drive for donations to complete the project.

The Friends host a monthly bake sale and adoption event on the second Saturday of each month, but Gibby realizes, they’ll need to up their efforts to reach their goals and make the new shelter a reality.

“That’s a lot of cookies,” she said.