Construction of a new Cache County impound facility for stray animals is projected to be completed by May 19, according to Sheriff Chad Jensen.

CACHE COUNTY – Sheriff Chad Jensen will meet with local mayors and city officials on Feb. 2 to discuss their participation in a new countywide animal impound facility.

That facility is now under construction east of the Cache County Jail with a projected completion date of May 19.

“My chief deputy met with the contractors today,” Jensen explained in a progress report to members of the Cache County Council on Jan. 11. “(The contractors) are dead set that they are going to complete the project by that time.”

In that report, the sheriff acknowledged that progress on the project was slow initially due to recent shortages of construction materials.

“They’ve done more on the project in the last three weeks than they did in the previous seven weeks,” he added.

“But the footings and foundation have now been poured. They backfilled the entire site today and they’ll probably start the masonry work on Monday or Tuesday (Jan. 17 and 18).”

Members of the Cache County Council unanimously gave a green light to plans to build the $3.2 million animal impound facility on May 25, 2021. County officials and invited guests officially broke ground for the project on Oct. 6.

Ideally, the new facility will shelter all animals impounded by local city and county officials. Jensen explained that the Feb. 2 meeting is intended to formalize that plan and discuss development of a standard countywide animal control ordinance.

When completed, the 11,000 square-foot county impound facility will house administrative offices, medical treatment facilities and kennels for impounded animals.

Under a recently finalized memorandum of understanding, Cache County will be responsible for administration of the impound facility, while staff and volunteers from the New Vision Veterinary group will provide shelter services in partnership with Utah State University and Bridgerland Technical College.

Those services will include adoption, medical treatment, emergency care and hands-on instruction for veterinarians, technicians, students and interns.

The New Vision Veterinary group is dedicated to bringing about a revolutionary change in the local veterinary care climate by reversing a trend toward high suicide rates among veterinary providers and staggering student debt burdens for students pursuing veterinary careers.



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