Group Awaits Approval on New Dog Pound Location
By Shawn Clubb / Suburban Journals – Southwest City

September 20, 2006 - The Animal House Fund still wants to build a new city dog pound in Arsenal-Ellendale Park, but it needs to know it can build there before moving ahead with raising funds.

One potential obstacle to building in the park is an effort by Citizens to Protect Forest Park, which wants a public vote on any proposal to sell, lease or otherwise use city park land for other purposes.

Alderman Bill Waterhouse, D-24th ward, said he is concerned the effort to build a city pound in Arsenal-Ellendale Park could be threatened by Citizens to Protect Forest Park. The group cited the Animal House Fund's efforts to build in Arsenal-Ellendale Park in claiming city park land is under threat of being sold off or used for non-recreational purposes.

The main focus of Citizens to Protect Forest Park has been blocking a proposal to extend a lease for BJC HealthCare to use a part of Forest Park that lies east of Kingshighway Boulevard.

The Animal House Fund project has been endorsed by many public officials, said Katherine McGowan, executive director of the fund. They include Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury, Comptroller Darlene Green, the mayor's development director Barbara Geisman, Parks Department director Gary Bess, Waterhouse and Janet Kuhl, president of the Ellendale Neighborhood Association.

"With all this support, I find it interesting there are people who might think this is an example of what not to do," McGowan said. "Our project has been very sensitive to the desires and wishes of the community.

"We're actually enhancing the green space in that community — creating a tree-lined walking path and planting over 350 trees." McGowan said the site fits the needs for an animal facility. She said it has access to major highways, so animal control officers could easily drive to all parts of the city. She said the dog pound on Gasconade Street does not have ready access to highways.

The Animal House Fund recently received results of a survey done on the park to determine the soil composition.

McGowan said the fund is back to talking to officials in Slay's office and Kuhl to find out if the project still has their support.

"We've gone back to the mayor's staff. They've given us the survey. We've looked at the survey. Now, we need a commitment from the city that that's where they want to have the facility," McGowan said. "Until we have the property secured and we know we're going to be building on that site, we're hesitant to move forward with fund raising."

The Journals requested a comment from the mayor's office, but none had been received by press time.

"I think we've been lucky that we've had great input from the Ellendale Neighborhood Association. We've had a respectful, honest dialogue with them," McGowan said.

The Animal House Fund would like to secure the property within the next month and raise funds over the next year, McGowan said. It hopes to break ground in about a year.

Back to Press »