New animal control facility slated for October opening

Cameron Utilities Director Zac Johnson announced Linda’s Precious Pets Small Animal Care Center will soon complete construction and open sometime this fall.

Despite a harsh winter, and outbreak of COVID-19, contractors involved in the $600,000 facility will put the final touches on the building in hopes of an October ribbon cutting.

“We have the grand opening coming up for the new animal control facility, which should be coming up mid-October. Construction is going good there,” said Johnson, while filling in for Cameron City Manager Steve Rasmussen, who was on vacation this week.

Last fall, city officials, volunteers and donors broke ground on the $600,000 facility. With a large portion of the facility composed of plywood, construction of the facility gained traction following a $250,000 donation by former Mo. Speaker of the House Bob Griffin. As one of their final decision in 2019, the Cameron City Council approved a resolution securing funding for the $600,000 short-term animal care facility. As part of the agreement, the city will make monthly payments totaling approximately $75,000 per year over 10 years. 

Kathy Turner, who works animal control for the city said new facility will allow enough space to provide quarantine potentially sick animals and many more amenities unavailable in the current facility. 

“We started working on this in 2013. We’ve been a no-kill (facility) for adoptable dogs. We utilize rescues and we have Puppies for Parole,” said Turner after the groundbreaking. “Our building, some of it is probably 40 or 50 years old. It needs repair and we don’t have a place to isolate here. If we bring in a dog, and it has kennel cough, then we subject every dog that comes in after it to kennel cough.”

CALL (816) 632-6543 AND SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE BY ADVERTISING OR SUBSCRIBING TODAY.