North Augusta Plans New Animal Shelter To Keep Up With Growing Population

At a recent council meeting, North Augusta officials shared their vision for a new animal shelter. The city's growth, projected to grow from 27,000 to 50,000 people, means more pets will need care.

The shelter's yearly capacity would need to increase from 600 to 1,500 animals. Officials want to use building fees to fund this work. Their main goal is to make sure pet care meets the needs of a bigger city.

Linda Smith spoke up at the meeting, urging the council to fix the current shelter while planning the new one.

The discussion brought up previous funding challenges. North Augusta got $12 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, and none of it went to pet care. Yet their neighbor, Edgefield, spent $550,000 of their share on their shelter.