The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center (PRC) in Tampa desperately needs a new facility!!!

PRC is currently located at 440 N. Falkenberg Road and the facility is 40 years old. As the only "open-admission" shelter in Hillsborough County, PRC cannot turn away any strays, hoarding cases, owner surrenders or abused animals. 

The current facility is antiquated and overburdened. The vast majority of kennels have no air conditioning or heat. The kennels are known to flood during storms and the laundry area is too small and ill-equipped to handle the daily volume of laundry. The veterinary clinic is outdated limiting the staff's ability to provide care. The clinic area needs more space to treat animals and perform surgeries and more kennel space  to ensure proper veterinary isolation.

During the last 40 years, our county has experienced tremendous population growth and a corresponding increase in the number of lost pets and animals in need of sheltering.   As a result, PRC regularly operates well over its intended capacity, forcing the animals into cramped conditions. The current building has insufficient kennel space to accommodate the ever-increasing influx of animals. The overcrowding, high noise levels and suboptimal conditions can create physical illnesses and/or behavioral problems in the animals, potentially impacting their adoptability or leading to euthanasia.

In early 2024, county staff included a $30 million planning estimate for Pet Resource Center facility renovations and maintenance among the projects eligible for renewed Community Investment Tax funding. The county’s current FY 2026–FY 2031 Capital Improvement Program provides $8 million from general revenues for land acquisition, planning and design of a replacement shelter. However, the CIP does not identify funding for construction, and the site, completion date and operating-cost impact are all listed as ‘to be determined.’ After committing $360 million of renewed CIT revenue to the Rays stadium during the tax’s first four years, the county must document exactly how and when the complete PRC project will be funded, constructed, staffed and operated.

We’re not asking the county to choose between baseball and animals. We’re asking the county to turn its stated commitment to the PRC into a fully funded, time-certain plan.

The homeless cats and dogs of Hillsborough County deserve better.  

They can't speak but we can...and we need your help!!!

THE SOLUTION WE NEED NOW:

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners must commit and protect sufficient funding to design, construct, staff and operate a new, modern Pet Resource Center that can truly support the needs of our community. The new shelter must include climate control, proper drainage to prevent flooding, an upgraded veterinary clinic and enough space to safely house and rehabilitate homeless pets.

Please sign and share this petition!!!  

Updated September 2026 to reflect information contained in the county’s adopted Capital Improvement Program and subsequent county statements.