Porterville animal shelter will move into building within city limits

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- Porterville's animal shelter is currently located in Lindsay, and it doesn't make much sense. So, when an animal control officer picks up a dog in Porterville, their final destination is miles away.

"It takes them off the street for an hour just for the travel time," said Porterville Police Chief Eric Kroutil. "And by having them here in town that's going to increase their presence here in town."

For a long time, Kroutil has wanted a shelter in Porterville - and a better one than they have now. He says the current shelter is old, costly to maintain, and outside.

But a new opportunity came up when the city bought a building just down the street from police headquarters for $640,000. This week, councilmembers decided the 10,000 square-foot building will be the city's new animal shelter.

"With this facility, all the infrastructure is there," Kroutil said. "So what we have to do is rehab the building, so we're going to save millions (of dollars)."

While it will be about the same size, Kroutil says the new facility will be climate controlled, ventilated, and divided into different areas (for animals ready to be adopted and those who are not).

Renovating the building could cost more than $1 million, and it may be two years before it's ready. But when the city makes the move, Kroutil believes they'll get more volunteers and visitors looking to adopt a furry friend.