UPDATE: Sundays Courier- Conroe Animal Shelter privatization could include vet By Catherine Dominguez | Posted 10 hours ago Tim and Amy Holifield believe they are the right fit for the Conroe Animal Shelter. And as the couple take over the interim management and operation of the shelter, they plan to submit a proposal to run it full-time after the city of Conroe started accepting proposals for the privatization of the shelter last week. “We have met with the city; they have a nice facility there,” said Tim Holifield, who ran the Montgomery County Animal Shelter while serving as Precinct 3 constable and now contracts with the county to privately operate it. “It is our desire to provide them professional management for the day-to-day operations of their shelter.” The Holifields, who operate under the business Care Corporation, are no strangers to the shelter business. In 2011, Montgomery County commissioners agreed to privatize the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, located on Texas 242, and awarded the proposal to Care Corporation. Tim Holifield said he had only recently seen the the RFP from the city but said they would include a veterinarian on staff as part of their proposal. “We are hoping to have a vet there full-time,” Amy Holifield said. Privatizing the shelter, Tim Holifield said, is a good option for the city. “A lot of time with governmental agencies, the animal shelter ... becomes the responsibility of law enforcement,” he said. “Law enforcement has their primary focus, which is public safety. While animals are important, they have to put the public safety needs above it.” He said privatizing animal shelters is a benefit for the animals and is becoming the trend across the state. “It’s a good fit,” he said. “I think the city will find they will get more bang for their buck.” While the issue has not been before the Conroe City Council, Mayor Webb Melder said he wants to make the right decision for the citizens of the city and the animals. Although the Holifields have not been able to do a detailed assessment of the shelter, one thing Tim Holifield said he hopes to change is vaccinations. “We have asked the city to strongly consider modifying its ordinance to allow for the vaccination of animals on intake, which we believe is a key component to keeping animals healthy,” he said. The other area Tim Holifield said is important is maintaining the relationship with volunteers. “We understand the Animal Shelter Volunteers of Texas has been a longstanding supporter of the shelter,” he said. “It is groups like this that help shelters in caring for animals. “This results is animals’ lives being saved.” Conroe Police Chief Philip Dupuis said the city will retain ownership of the facility. The city’s annual budget for the operation of the shelter and for Animal Control is $501,487.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 14:41:39 +0000
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