Group says Elko's animal shelter is too small

ELKO — Elko Animal Shelter is too small for all the dogs and cats residing there while awaiting new homes. That’s the word from Vivian Wright, president of the Local Animal Shelter Support Organization, or LASSO. “We need a new animal shelter,” she told the Elko City Council, reporting the current shelter houses about 2,000 animals a year.

“We are grateful to have it, but have challenges with a growing population.” The organization hopes to raise roughly $5 million to $7 million for a new shelter, and Wright said the current timeline is about five years to start of construction to “build a better place for our animals.” She said she wants to call the new facility an animal center, not an animal shelter.



“You can have the new building named anything you want if you give us enough money,” Wright quipped. The intake room at the Elko Animal Shelter, November 2023. A presentation to City Council members said phases toward the goal of a new center include planning and designing, fundraising and construction.

Fundraising efforts will include community events, online campaigns, grant opportunities, corporate sponsorships and business partnerships, along with a “Name a Kennel” campaign, according to the presentation. The organization also hopes to have a partnership with the city of Elko, which will be asked to spend roughly $250,000 for a preliminary site survey and design, and the city would be responsible for building a new shelter, using money LASSO raises. Wright’s presentation was preliminary, and the agenda didn’t call for any action.

She said there is no more room to add kennels and feral cats are a huge problem. She offered feral cats to farmers and ranchers, anyone with a barn, shop or warehouse, as they make good mousers. “We have a cat for you, and you can probably even pick out the color,” Wright said.

The cat room at the Elko Animal Shelter, November 2023. In her presentation to the council on Tuesday, she said the current shelter is too small to fit volunteers who want to help with the animals and the no-kill status of the shelter is another reason the facility is full. Mayor Reese Keener thanked Wright and LASSO for their efforts over the years.

The shelter has been open since 2005, and the city of Elko funds its operations, but the nonprofit raises money for projects. Wright said 8,000 or more animals have been spayed or neutered with LASSO’s help, and she said “we want to continue on” with spaying and neutering animals adopted from the animal shelter. Dumke-Weeks Spay/Neuter Clinic went into operation in 2011, according to a 2022 Elko Daily Free Press article, and a slide Wright showed stated the current mission of LASSO is “to support the operation of the Dumke-Weeks Spay/Neuter Clinic and work to enhance the lives of our community’s shelter animals.

” LASSO has a website, lassoelko.org . Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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