The AnimalCampus at Gragg Park is a picturesque 5.5-acre tract of Houston parkland along Brays Bayou and Wayside Drive, which will house a state-of-the-art “green” animal adoption center, a low-cost veterinary clinic, and a 3.3 acre dog park open to the public. This thoughtfully designed campus is a crucial step toward increasing pet adoptions and elevating the care that stray animals in Houston receive. Mayor Bill White appointed a committed task force to lead the $10-million campaign of which $4.2 million has already been secured. Construction is planned to begin in late 2010.
In 2007, Ann Slemons Young left approximately $1.7 million of her estate to BARC, the City’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control for the purpose of building an adoption center. To maximize the impact of this gift, the City began planning for the construction of a new animal welfare campus, with Ms. Young’s bequest as the lead gift. The City has donated the land for the campus, provided $1.2 million in Capital Improvements Project (CIP) funding, and will contribute an additional $3.3 million in CIP funds to renovate the existing BARC facilities. The Ann Young bequest and the City’s capital commitment total approximately $4 million, leaving an additional $6 million to raise through generous donors in the community.
Community support is crucial to saving the lives of Houston’s most vulnerable animal population, enabling the adoption of abandoned shelter pets, educating families and children regarding the important responsibilities of pet ownership, reducing pet overpopulation through low-cost spay and neuter, and driving down needless euthanasia in our shelters. The City of Houston has taken the first critical steps. Your generous financial donation will make the Animal Campus a reality.
For more information on how to support this campaign please contact campaign manager Cara Pauloski at animalcampus@andrisinabbey.com or call 713.568.2832.
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