A lot of money is being spent on a fight over the Town Lake Animal Shelter.

City leaders want to move the shelter out of that prime real estate and put it in East Austin.  But opponents say the result will be an increase in the number of dogs and cats that are put to sleep.

In last November’s bond election, Austin voters overwhelmingly approved $12 million to build a new animal shelter.  But there are conflicting opinions on where that facility should be placed.

A full-page color ad urging the shelter to stay at its current location was placed in Tuesday’s Austin American-Statesman, paid for by the group FixAustin.org.

“The shelter relocation proposed by the city is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind location that will inevitably lead to higher killing rates and higher operating budgets for the city.” said local attorney Lorri Michel, who, along with others, is asking the city to reconsider efforts to build the shelter where the city’s Health and Human Services Department has offices, off U.S. 183 and Airport Road.  “Shelter experts will tell you that the further removed the shelter is from the heart of the city, or a highly visible location, the less adoptions that will occur.”

The city has previously stated that it would cost more money to rebuild the shelter on its current site, in part, because of on-going flooding issues the center faces during heavy rains.  Plus, the city has said the new site is closer to where more animals are brought in. 

Still, FixAustin.org says the shelter would be better served in a more central location.