A dog at Tri-County Animal Rescue waits for a new family.
Bruce Borich/The Coastal Star
By Sallie James
The discarded pets used to appear once a week, dropped off surreptitiously under cover of darkness by owners who didn’t want them anymore because they were too old, too sick, too active or just too much work.
Now dogs are sometimes being dropped off two at a time at a rate that disheartens the chief executive officer and founder of the no-kill Tri-County Animal Rescue of Boca Raton, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Plans to expand the shelter at 21287 Boca Rio Road couldn’t come at a better time, said Tri-County CEO Suzi Goldsmith.
“We are always full up and there are always people surrendering pets, and people tying them to posts,” Goldsmith said. “It’s a sad situation and unfortunately it’s becoming worse. ”
Where to house all these unwanted animals is an ongoing dilemma, Goldsmith said.
The Boca Raton City Council is slated to give final approval to an amended lease agreement that will allow the Tri-County Animal Rescue to use an additional 5-acre parcel for the construction of a 9,000-square-foot isolation center and vet clinic.
The additional 5 acres were originally designated as a bird sanctuary and passive park when the city operated an animal shelter at the site.
Tri-County Animal Rescue took over shelter operations in 2001, and signed a 30-year lease agreement with the city for a 9.4-acre parcel. The 5-acre parcel designated for use as a bird sanctuary was not included at the time. The amended lease agreement adds the parcel to the Tri-County Animal Rescue lease agreement.
Tri-County leases the property where it is located from Boca Raton for an annual fee of $1, Goldsmith said. The additional parcel will make Tri-County Animal Rescue the largest regional 100 percent no-kill shelter that operates on 100 percent donations, according to a memo from Boca Raton City Manager Leif Ahnell.
Plans are to construct a facility that will include isolation rooms for abandoned pets afflicted with contagious illnesses such as canine distemper, parvovirus and influenza. The new facility will also have a surgery center and dental care section and will offer low-cost neutering, spaying and shots.
The rescue center operates seven days a week with assistance from a loyal corps of 125 volunteers, Goldsmith said.
Construction of the estimated $2.2 million addition is expected to get underway sometime in September, Goldsmith said.
As always, the shelter needs more donations and more adopters.
“Please come by and help us,” Goldsmith said, extending an invitation to the public. “At any time, we have hundreds of dogs and cats.”
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