HELTER SHELTER: Aurora’s dire need for an animal shelter costing $51 million

AURORA | We call them our babies. They sleep in our beds, eat better than we do and somehow take up all the room on the couch. They become family, and for many of us, doing right by them isn’t a luxury, it’s a must.

For animal lovers, pets don’t only share a home, they share a heart.

“People joke that they like animals more than they like people, and for some people, that’s true. They get along better with dogs and cats than they do other people,” said Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky. 

It’s easy to forget, however, that beyond the comfort of our homes, there’s an essential place where animals end up when they’re lost, abandoned or causing chaos on the streets. That behind-the-scenes place is one of the most essential services a city can offer, especially in Aurora.

In Aurora, the people who run that facility say it’s no longer workable nor safe for the animals.

Having a local shelter that can reunite lost pets with their families, find new homes for animals in need, safely contain aggressive strays and compassionately handle animals struck by vehicles, all under one roof, is something the Aurora Animal Shelter can bundle up in one package. The problem is that the current package is too small for a city the size of Aurora, and it’s severely outdated, and the only solution is a new, costly facility. 

“We are on the verge of totally being shut down and not having the animal shelter at all,” Jurinsky said. 

The Aurora animal shelter building was not initially intended to house animals. It was constructed as an impound facility in the 1980s. In 1984, it was converted into the animal shelter people visit today. During that time, the population of Aurora has grown significantly, nearly quadrupling in size from 150,000 people in the 1980s to more than 400,000 people currently. 

“Aurora is the third biggest city with one of the smallest shelters of the Front Range,” said Anthony Youngblood, Animal Services division manager for the Aurora Animal Shelter.

Now, the population has outgrown what the shelter can offer, and it needs an upgrade. Youngblood said that there are 52 large kennels and 12 smaller dog kennels, and they are at 90% to 95% capacity almost all of the time. Last year, the shelter took in more than 3,100 animals.

“The number of kennels also holds us back from what we could do,” Youngblood said. “If we had more space, we’d probably take more animals, but with what limited space we have, we’re constantly full, especially for the size of the population.”

This is also the same facility that took care of the mischievous 400-pound pig that received notoriety when he was at large and causing havoc in the streets in 2023. The shelter rehomed him to  Eads High School’s Future Farmers of America, where he is still living his best life.

The shelter also has a contract with Arapahoe County Animal Control. Youngblood said they get the whole gamut, including rabbits, pigs, fish, snakes, goats, chickens, ducks and recently they got a bearded dragon. 

“We’re one of the few facilities that animal control works out of the building,” Youngblood said. “This is so much more productive, and it’s easier, and you learn so much more when you’re attached to a shelter. But it makes what we do in this small building very confined.”

The shelter, however, is also no longer in compliance with the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA), and, essentially because of the lack of space, the most cost-effective way to bring it back into compliance is to build a new facility. 

Jurinsky said she has been working for years to secure funding and find solutions to support the shelter, while also making regular announcements reminding people where and how they can contribute.

“I first adopted an animal from the animal shelter about 14 years ago,” Jurinsky said. “I adopted a Rottweiler. I have a passion for animals in general, but the Rottweiler breed specifically, I’m very fond of.”

That dog was named Bailey, and although Bailey has since died, the interaction helped her build a lasting relationship with the animal shelter that has endured to this day. She said she had recently been able to adopt a new puppy that the shelter contacted her about. They knew about her passion for Rottweilers and called her the second they got one in. 

“My current dog was found running wild in a field all by himself, and animal control had picked him up,” Jurinsky said. “His name is Rubble. My son named him from the Paw Patrol.”

Rubble was six months old when she adopted him. She wanted to have a dog that could grow up with her son, and that’s precisely what happened. Rubble is now four years old, and Jurinksy has had the opportunity to watch them grow together.

An Aurora resident, Tanya Tabachek, also adopted her dog, Scooby Doo, from the Aurora animal shelter and learned about the shelter’s needs through Jurinsky. She has also been a vocal advocate for the shelter at city council meetings, working to offer and support it as she is able. 

On Monday, Tabachek spoke at the meeting to advocate for the city council to approve funding for the new facility. City lawmakers unanimously approved the shelter to have a new home, but at a high price. 

The new shelter is projected to have a total cost of $51 million. Jessica Prossor, director of Housing and Community Services, reviewed the proposal and financing details during a June 9 study session to city council.

“We are out of compliance with PACFA, which is the group that monitors our compliance related to safety and things like that,” Prosser said. “So, really, we’re looking at this facility as end of life.”

The proposed 38,000-square-foot facility will house up to 250 animals and feature modernized services, including separate spaces for adoptable and court-hold animals, dedicated isolation and veterinary areas and improved indoor-outdoor access for both staff and animals. A preliminary site plan places the new shelter on a five-acre section of a 15-acre city-owned parcel just southeast of the current facility.

The old facility would still be used for some services. The cremator, which is essentially designed for roadkill, will need to remain in the building it’s located in. 

“Not every shelter has one,” Youngblood said. “They’re very expensive. It’s a crazy license to have. It’s so crazy that this facility, whether the building’s going to change, they have to keep it where it is, and we’re going to have to, from the new shelter, come here to use this one, because to transfer for the EPA license and all that kind of stuff. It’s just going to be here.”

The current location appears almost like a dot in comparison to the outline of the proposed new facility’s space.

“Right now, we have very limited outdoor ability, and we also have to cross a parking lot with animals, which is not helpful for staff,” Prosser said.

The project will be funded through a combination of federal relief, city capital and lease-purchase financing mechanisms. Certificates of Participation will provide approximately $27 million of the construction funding, with an estimated annual debt service cost of between $1.6 million and $1.8 million for 30 years, totaling roughly $51 million, assuming current interest rates.

To offset the cost, the city has already secured or allocated several sources of funding:

• $2.9 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds
• $5 million in Capital Project Funds
• $16 million in general government capital impact fees
• $400,000 estate gift dedicated specifically to the shelter
  

“This would qualify for impact fees,” Prosser said.

The city previously put some ARPA dollars towards a new shelter, so what city council approved was the COP debt issuance.

“We have to spend our ARPA dollars by the end of 2026, so we’ve committed those funds already with this project,” Prosser said.

The city plans to issue certificates of participation, which are lease-purchase financing for a portion of the capital stack, Teresa Sedmak, Aurora’s city treasurer, said. Using COPS allows the city to borrow to build the facility without asking voters for a tax hike or putting the loan on the city books as capital debt.

The ordinance authorizes a maximum of $27 million to be issued, with a maximum interest rate of 6% for 30-year financing. The city staff plans to go to market at the end of August, now that they’ve received the city council’s approval. 

Construction for the project is planned to begin in 2026 following the completion of the design and permitting phases. The anticipated build time is 18 to 24 months, with the city working with contractor partners to manage costs through design collaboration and market forecasting, according to Prosser.

“Let’s pull together as a community,” Tabachek said. “Let’s show people that Aurora cares for the unspoken.”

In the meantime, Jurinsky is still exploring various options for additional fundraising, and the shelter employees said that they always appreciate any help people can offer. 

“I am very fond of the animal shelter and the work that they’re doing there,” Jurinsky said. 

A golf tournament is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 21 at the Saddle Rock Golf Course as a fundraiser for the Aurora Animal Shelter. Jurinsky said she’s soliciting additional ideas or events that can help raise funds. She can be reached at djurinsk@auroragov.org.

The shelter also said they can use all the help they can get, whether it is making donations for food or other needs, including leashes, toys and especially enrichment supplies, or volunteering and fostering. One significant need the shelter staff mentioned they currently have is a lack of people to foster. 

There are three spaces for dogs to run, but only two are ideal. One is on cement and the other two are on a steep hill, making it hard for dogs to get the zoomies out. Cats have a smaller space to roam that picks up all of the noises in the lobby, making it hard for them to relax. 

Fostering allows the animals a break from the noise and limited space of the shelter. 

“I think our biggest struggle is dogs that have any sort of behavioral concern,” Desirea Audino, shelter supervisor, said. 

They might require more exercise or mental stimulation, or they might need to live in a home without other animals, or certain aged children. Audino said those dogs can stay the longest because of those specific needs. 

“They’re also the dogs that don’t do well in shelters, because they need all of that,” she said. “So then they start to decline while they’re here. That’s another big reason why we need fosters so they can get a break.”

People interested in learning about the week-to-week needs can follow the social media pages or sign up on the city website to donate, volunteer, foster or adopt.