SALLISAW (KFSM) — After a year of back-and-forth discussions about where to build its new location, the Sallisaw Animal Care Facility has re-opened.
The facility in Sallisaw looks a lot different compared to what it used to. Even though it’s in the same location on Houser Road, the building itself was built from the ground up by city workers and volunteers.
The new facility cost the city $60,000 and is complete with concrete floors. The building is much larger than the old one and can hold around 30 dogs. There are 14 kennels on the inside, compared to the old facility which only had 8 kennels. Also, it will now have a special area to hold around 12 cats.
On the outside, there’s now a giant fenced-in area where the animals can go and play.
Last year, when city leaders discussed the Animal Care Facility, there were some concerns from local citizens when it was originally going to be placed on Eppler Road, which is a residential area. The City of Sallisaw purchased that land for $150,000. “We were able to take something that was controversial in the community and listen to everyone and turn it into a win,” said Sallisaw City Manager Clayton Lucas.
Workers are almost complete with the facility. All that is left to do on the inside is to finish the office space. Workers plan to be finished by August 1st. Even though the facility isn’t all the way complete they’re now allowing pet adoptions again.
As for the land that was purchased on Eppler Road, city leaders have talked about building a fire training facility out here instead. However, at this point it’s just an idea.
