Things are pretty quiet at Bristol’s new, state-of-the-art animal shelter these days, and yes, COVID shoulders some of that blame — but not all of it. The reality is that even before the pandemic, things were pretty quiet at the top-notch facility, financed with a bond that costs the town some $18,000 a month. It’s been operating below capacity since it opened.

“It’s a great shelter; way beyond what we are using at this point,” said Bristol Town Councilor Tim Sweeney, who is serving as council liaison for the Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter.

In an effort to think of ways to maximize usage of the facility, the Town reached out to neighboring communities and organizations for opportunities to collaborate and better utilize the space.

Town leaders, from Mr. Sweeney to Town Administrator Steven Contente to Captain Brian Burke of the Bristol Police, whose department oversees the Animal Control division (though it operates under its own budget), were quick to note that courting partners from beyond Bristol should not be seen as an indictment of the shelter or the people operating it. “It operates on budget;, there are no irregularities or anything of that nature,” said Capt. Burke.

“We have this beautiful facility, and we are trying to provide the best animal care in the most efficient way possible,” said Mr. Contente. “If we had more volume, if we partnered with another community or organization, we could bring down the cost per animal.”

Ironically, that underutilization comes as a result of the success of local animal control and advocacy — Bristol is a community that cares about its companion animals, and stray dogs are virtually non-existent. Volunteer groups such as Pawswatch have been actively spaying and neutering stray and feral cats for years, dramatically reducing their populations.

Outside interest

The Town’s efforts unearthed some interest last year, and the council entertained a proposal from the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) in July. The group proposed leasing this municipal building and establishing a satellite location in Bristol.

For the many passionate stakeholders in the animal shelter, especially the Friends who worked so hard to fundraise for the facility, the Rhode Island SPCA’s interest appears to have served as a bit of a shot in the arm.

The Friends retained consultant Jennifer Bristol to communicate a response, including defining how the friends could “more effectively increase utilization of the Shelter and support this broadened scope with added capacity.”

Ms. Bristol sees nothing but opportunity. “Poor communications got us here,” she said. “But with time and facilitation, the shelter could become what it was originally designed to be, a facility supporting animals in need and a resource for education, volunteer leadership and community engagement.”

To start, she is recommending a memorandum of understanding to get all stakeholders to sign on to to serve as a guide.

To be fair, the process is a little more complicated than it is with Potter League, for example — the successful not-for-profit animal rescue league in Middletown. Bristol’s animal shelter is a town-owned building run by an animal control officer and staff, which operates under the auspices of the Police Department, but with its own, separate budget. The Friends are their own entity, and while they get credit for building the structure, the organization has not — until now — developed and communicated a cohesive vision for their next chapter.

“We want to look at all sides,” said Ms. Bristol. “Nobody is debating that right now, the building is an empty shell. But the Friends raised all this money, and there’s so much potential.

“We want to lay out our proposal for a comparable utilization. What if the Friends were a stronger presence?”

In order to answer that question, Ms. Bristol has been working closely with the Friends’ board of directors, including Julie Brigidi, a longtime volunteer.

“Since we heard they were thinking of handing the shelter over to an outside entity, we’ve had at least 15 meetings,” said Ms. Brigidi. “We have been really working hard to present a plan to the town that shows everything we need to do can happen here.”

Ms. Bristol is clear, there is no issue with the Rhode Island SPCA as an organization. “RISPCA made a good presentation,” she said. “But really, when you look at what they presented, there is nothing that couldn’t happen right here in the community … There just needs to be more organization among all the people who feel invested. The good news is, there’s a lot of people who feel invested.”

Public workshop scheduled

With the assistance of Mr. Sweeney and Council Chairman Nathan Calouro, a workshop is being scheduled for Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., at which Ms. Bristol will present a draft strategic plan with the stated goal of increasing the shelter’s utilization and organizational capacity. Some of the key areas they propose addressing include broadening the intake policy to admit more animals; offering programming and learning opportunities for all ages that educate and inspire responsible pet ownership; establishing the in-house education center as a meeting space and event venue; offering temporary housing for the pets of individuals experiencing financial or domestic hardship; partnering with other rescue organizations to provide pre-adoption housing (the Friends are already licensed for interstate rescue); establishing a robust volunteer program; providing support for accessing veterinary services; and building community engagement.

In addition, the shelter is undergoing its final certification as a disaster shelter.

“It’s a big job, and we are going to have to be serious,” said Ms. Bristol. “It can’t happen overnight, but it can happen.”

The pandemic has created a pause that organizers recognize could be used to good advantage. “This lull is an opportunity to get things going,” said Ms. Bristol. “I hope we come out of it and we can flesh out the plan, align it with a budget, and roll it out.”

“We are hopeful, but we won’t know anything until we get the nod from the town,” said Ms Brigidi.