Both Attleboro & North Attleboro are building multi million dollar animal shelters at the same time. On another note my taxes went up another thousand bucks.

$50,000 to design an animal shelter? How can an athletic complex cost 3.55 million for a new track and fake grass? Oh well, it's only money and luckily the public troth is bottomless. When they say this, you know the cost will only go up: "Although there will certainly be adjustments in individual item costs after final design, and construction costs cannot be truly known until the project is bid in the spring, I believe the city can and should show its support by approving this bond authorization," Dumas wrote.

Paul
Just so you know.............sharing the blueprints was already looked into - not allowed by some state regs.............not Attleboro's fault.

They really need a new animail shelter to house all of the dogs that have been there for over 1 year or better. Plus with more room, they can take in more Pit Bulls from other cities and towns that have to get rid of them. If not for all of the Pitt bulls and sick cats they take in then they surely wouldn't need to spend a million dollars and could get by with a little less. How soon before this new and improved shelter runs out of room? Won't be long since they are known for spending the tax payers money by taking in unadoptable animals. Sorry, but this is just wrong when there are many out of work folks who could use a warm place for a night or two and yet, Attleboro harbors dogs for years. Makes no sense.

Attleboro has always has the overages on the "Water & Sewer" taxes/money collected from already strapped homeowners to transfer and use on these projects. Why not just raise the Water & Sewer rates again? I know & understand these projects are good and may be needed/necessary, we're all animal lovers and want nothing but the best for our youth, but can we afford them during these trying times? ~ REGIONALATION ~ Does every City & Town have to have their own Million Dollar Facilites/Complexes?

Seekonk is right on Pond Street, but we must have our own shelter. It makes no sense building brand new shelters in every city and town in the area. We should be sharing these types of services, it's just common sense. Any sick or non adoptable animal should be put down fast. Enough trying to save every critter and housing Pit Bulls for years on the taxpayers dime!

I also think a regional approach to animal control would most benefit our furry friends.

I think the critics are myopic. Like the people who work in animal care and others who volunteer have never thought of a regional approach? They never thought of combining shelters? Of course they must have. Do you know the history? I don't but Roxanne just added that the plans could not be shared. Of course, they have to be site specific!!

Regional shelters are a nightmare and are rejected by almost every city and town. Those regional shelters end up with hundreds of animals at a time - just not manageable. At one time I helped out a regional shelter. It was a sad and overwhelming place. There was a smoke stack in the building that emitted smoke, every Wednesday. The smoke was emitted from the crematorium - as hundreds of animal were destroyed and cremated every month. This is something that I will never forget or accept as a solution for Attleboro. This is not who we are, and this is what happens when you build a shelter to house hundreds of animals at a time. The people who are railing about all the taxpayers money that is spent on Attleboro animals have no idea whatsoever what they are talking about. Almost all of the food is donated by generous people and businesses and almost all of the medical care for our animals is paid for by money that is privately raised by the wonderful volunteer group. I would challenge you to go to the accounting office at City Hall and educate yourself.

Regarding the new track and field - both are needed. We have spent a lot of tax dollars (well spent) on baseball and other sports fields. Not every "kid" is a football or baseball player. Track and field events are just as important. Read the paper and see what is happening with our kids today.....sports are a healthy outlet for them. This track and field is an investment in our kids, just as important as an education. For many many years, Attleboro was like a city that time forgot - stuck in the dark ages. The Mayor is trying to move Attleboro forward into this century, and yes, this costs money. Like it or not, we are all going to pay taxes and we should have a city that we can be proud of to show for it. The animal shelter and our track and field area are both an embarrassment and I for one am happy to see my tax dollars spent there - better there than a lot of other places.

A regional approach would work if people wanted it to work. And I am not suggesting Attleboro should necessarily be included in the picture. So relax.

Many counties across America share shelters, never mind cities & towns. Do animal fanatics really think every town should have a shelter that costs over a million bucks to build, let alone run? I had dogs & cats as pets over the years, but I never went the pound. Why should everyone have to pay for other peoples unwanted animals? Why should taxpayers have to fund volunteers with a new shelter, food, power, insurance, water, medication, veterinarian etc? It sounds like, volunteers have taken over these shelters, and in some cases, adopted dogs at the expense of the city. Some of these dogs live for years at these shelters and it's all on Mom & Dad taxpayer, who don't have pets.

I must admit, I do agree with many of your points paul.

The perception is that these shelters are manned and run by volunteers who will not risk adopting these animals. However, they get kudos from the public at large for caring for these animals at taxpayer expense. And seriously, what kind of life to these "prisoners" have?

the ignorance here is appalling...

I see the "self appointed" moderator is still at work attempting to regulate what commentators say.

Animal shelters are a good idea; however, sharing the resources and costs to build one is an even better idea. Cities and towns should be able to share a regional shelter. The idea is to save taxpayer money, government local, state, and national, wastes our tax dollars as it is.

If sharing blueprints is "NOT ALLOWED BY SOME STATE REGULATION" time to change the "STATE REGULATION"

That's just not true! Two towns can hire the same firm and use the same plans to build the same structure at two locations or more economically at the town line.

Daniel, I wasn't the one who said this. Please check higher on this thread and you'll see another person, who knows a lot more about shelters than I do, posted it.

My comments were directed more towards the conditions of two sites: shape of lot, size of lot, soil conditions (rock to be blasted, fill to be added, wetlands nearby and needing extra vetting, etc. etc.). Mostly, it would be rare if both towns had exactly the same amount of money to spend.