HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — A petition calling on Hillsborough County to honor its commitment to build a new Pet Resource Center has garnered more than 2,000 signatures — and advocates say they’re just getting started.
The center, located at 440 N. Falkenberg Road, is 40 years old. It’s the only open-admission shelter in Hillsborough County, meaning it cannot turn away strays, hoarding cases, owner surrenders or abused animals, according to the petition.
WATCH: Thousands sign petition pushing for new Pet Resource Center
Thousands sign petition demanding county keep promise for new Pet Resource Center
But advocates say the aging facility is failing the animals it’s meant to protect.
“When it pours, it still comes through. And that’s where, with these kennels, they do flood,” said Betsy, a longtime volunteer and animal advocate who organized the petition.
Most kennels have no air conditioning or heat, according to advocates. The veterinary clinic is outdated, and there’s insufficient space to properly isolate sick animals or perform surgeries, the petition states.
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“Can you imagine how hot they are here, especially black ones,” Betsy said as she walked the kennels during a tour of the facility on Wednesday with reporter Haley Zarcone.
During the tour, she pointed out a 12-year-old dog waiting for adoption. “Doesn’t that break your heart?” she asked.
Why now?
The petition comes as Hillsborough County pledged $800 million toward a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Animal advocates say they’re not against the stadium — but they worry funding for the Pet Resource Center could be pushed aside.
“Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers got a new stadium in 1998, the Rays got a new stadium in basically 2028, and this [PRC] was built in 1988,” said Brian Bokor, who signed the petition and shared it with his 35,000 Facebook followers. “Two sports stadiums, large arenas got built, and we’re still sitting in a 40-year-old facility.”
Bokor told Tampa Bay 28 News that the petition isn’t about choosing between baseball and animals.
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“Once they know how old it is and what we were promised, they’re gonna have to find someplace in the budget for us because we already had $30 million in the budget,” Betsy said.
The petition also states: “A new shelter was planned with over $30 million already allocated for the project. We are now being told that the funding may no longer be available as the county considers paying $800 million towards the Rays’ stadium.”
What the county says
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Haley Zarcone sent the following questions to Hillsborough County on Monday and received written responses on Wednesday:
Q (Tampa Bay 28): What is the current status of plans to replace or renovate the Pet Resource Center?
A (County statement): “Staff began evaluating the needs for updates to the existing Pet Resources facility and/or a new shelter in 2024. Staff continues to evaluate both options and should have a recommendation for the County Administrator and Board toward the end of 2026 or in the first quarter of the 2027 calendar year.”
Q: Has funding for a new facility been considered, removed, or deferred in the current budget process?
A: “The renewed CIT identified a shelter facility as an eligible project. Staff’s initial estimate was about $30 million, but that cost has no doubt increased along with all other construction-related items due to inflationary pressures. (It’s important to remember that CIT funds come in annually over 15 years, so the shelter amount would not necessarily be ‘deferred’ if it didn’t happen immediately; the total County share of the renewed CIT is estimated to be approximately $2.7 billion, but it could be more if the collection rate is closer to the historical collection rate of 4.1% instead of the somewhat conservative rate of 3% that staff used to calculate potential revenue over the 15 year period.)”
Q: How does the county assess the current condition and capacity of the existing Pet Resource Center?
A: “One option is to expand and upgrade the existing facility with more modern operating suites; an expanded kennel footprint, with enclosed areas for better climate control; optimized intake and quarantine areas; and a renovated customer service area.
Another option is to build a new facility to encompass all the items listed above, plus adding more storage, additional staff office and break space, and expanded parking areas. This option is likely to cost at least double the cost of expanding/upgrading the existing facility, even without paying for land by locating the new facility on property the County already owns (but there would still be site development costs).”
Q: What is the county’s response to residents’ concerns about the facility and their petition calling for a replacement?
A: The county did not directly address the petition in its response to Tampa Bay 28 News. However, officials noted they are being cautious about potential budget impacts.
The county stated: “Staff is also mindful of the potential impacts of Amendment 3 and the effect on property tax revenue. We are cautious about doing something that would increase future costs, so we are analyzing ways to future-proof any expansion, upgrade, or construction of a new facility as much as possible. At this time we cannot say exactly what impact passage of Amendment 3 might have on the Pet Resources facility project.”
What’s next?
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners has a budget meeting scheduled for next Thursday, according to Bokor. Petition organizers say they plan to attend and encourage others to show up as well.
“When people show up, they do listen,” Bokor told Tampa Bay 28 News. “The meeting on the 24th is the meeting that determines what stays in the CIT budget for fiscal year ’28. So that’s kind of the one where the rubber meets the road, and we want to make sure that that money stays.”
For now, advocates say they’ll keep pushing until the county follows through on its promise.
“I actually sent a letter to the head of the Rays, and it’s a very, it’s a very good letter, you know, it’s not doing anything wrong,” Betsy said. “Welcome to Hillsborough County and hoping that you will be able to help us with the strays.”
Share Your Story with Haley
Tampa Bay 28’s Haley Zarcone lives and works in Manatee County. It’s her mission to connect with her neighbors and help them find answers to the issues they see every day.
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