Improvements May Be In The Future For Bristol's Animal Control Building

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

December 8, 2021

Following a recent tour of the city’s Animal Control building by several City Council members, improvements may be in the future for the facility.

On Dec. 2, City Council members Cheryl Thibeault, Andrew Howe and Susan Parent Tyler toured the building at 126 Vincent P. Kelly Road with Animal Control Officer Ray Zagurski, Public Works Director Ray Rogozniski and Trish Ulin from the Friends of the Bristol CT Animal Shelter.

“It was very informative; there were several things that came to light,” she said.

City Councilor Cheryl Thibeault then shared what she learned on social media via Bristol Talks.

“In the summer, there is no AC for the facility,” she said. “You have staff and animals in a cinder block building which was built in the ‘70s and retains heat.”

Thibeault noted that the building does have a heating system for the winter.

The building also lacks internet access, which Thibeault said should be something that is “not cost-prohibitive” to address.

“Bringing a system into the building would really help to bring it into this century,” she said.

There are also a couple other areas which Thibeault said could see improvement. One would involve the possible construction of additional outside run areas for the animals. There is currently only one such area.

“If it is in the budget, we could also look into new cages for the cats,” she said. “New cages, made of stainless steel, would be easier to clean and more sanitary. The current cages are not unsafe, but they haven’t been replaced in a while and they are due for an upgrade.”

Since posting about the council’s tour of the Animal Control Facility, Thibeault said that she has received an overwhelmingly positive response from city residents.

“Several residents offered to donate goods or services,” she said. “The passion that people in Bristol have for animals is incredible. They want to see something done, which is very encouraging. It is possible that some of these items could be addressed through a community fundraiser.”

Thibeault said that she aims to introduce budget items for improvements in this year’s budget. This would be two separate line items, as the police department budget handles things like heating the building while the Public Works Department handles things like building maintenance and repair.

“We are at the start of budget season, so it is the perfect time to introduce something like this,” she said. “Maybe we won’t be able to get it all done in one year, but we can take care of the most important items. I think we can definitely take care of getting internet for the building before next budget.”

The next step, Thibeault said, is to await on a cost-estimate from Ray Rogozniski. She then plans to present the proposal at a City Council meeting and ask for the items to be included in the budget.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.