Animal shelter construction underway in Pahrump

After many years of demand by the public, Nye County began pursuing a new animal shelter in earnest in 2020 and now, the results of that effort can start to be seen by anyone who wishes to drive by the new Nye County Animal Shelter site in Pahrump, with construction underway and crews working steadily to bring what was once a mere concept into reality.

The process to bring a new animal shelter to the valley started in mid-2020 and by Oct. 6, Nye County commissioners had awarded the contract to Henderson-based B&H Construction. The price tag came in at $3,974,421 and the conceptual outline for the facility calls for a building of roughly 14,000 square feet. The new shelter is located at 1510 E. Siri Lane, just down the street from the existing animal shelter, which is in a deteriorated state and is simply too small to meet the needs of the community today.

The new animal shelter is set to include more than 100 kennels, most of which will be located indoors, along with rooms specifically dedicated to cats and a big, open space outdoors that will act as a courtyard for the facility. Nye County Animal Shelter staff will be moving into the building as well and there are several rooms earmarked for in-house veterinarian care.

Despite the fact that the construction contract was awarded in October 2020 and a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the final day of the year, B&H Construction was not able to begin the project right away. Instead, the company was required to wait several months before commencing construction, as the county had one other key step to undertake before the notice to proceed could be given. The funding for the project needed to be in place and this required the securing of a multi-million dollar loan.

A public hearing regarding the issuance of a bond to fund the project was held on Dec. 30, 2020 and commissioners gave their unanimous approval to the bid provided by Key Bank. The $4.1 million bond comes with a term of 10 years and with an interest rate of just 1.51% which means that over the life of the loan, the county will pay roughly $321,000 in interest.

It then took more than six months for the notice to proceed with construction to be issued but now that construction is moving forward, it’s only a matter of time before the new facility is ready for use and the current animal shelter operation can make the transition to its new location.

“Notice to proceed was issued on June 26,” Nye County Public Information Officer Arnold Knightly told the Pahrump Valley Times when reached for details on where the project currently stands. “Mobilization started the week after, and materials and equipment started arriving. From the sixth of July until now, foundations have been dug, underground plumbing has been going in and they are starting to set forms for concrete.”

He noted that the project is scheduled to finish early next year, with February the target completion month.

In the meantime, the current animal shelter is continuing to operate at 1511 E. Siri Lane under the management of contracted nonprofit Desert Haven Animal Society and there are plenty of canines and felines in need of a good home. The shelter is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. For more information call 775-751-7020, stop by the office or visit Desert Haven Animal Society’s Facebook page.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com