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SIERRA VISTA — The long-awaited Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center, named after an Army nurse who served at Fort Huachuca in the late 1970s, officially opens today.
The facility’s grand opening party starts at 3 p.m., featuring the recognition of Sierra Vista’s Pet Idol winners chosen by the community in the recent Pet Idol contest.
Residents and their pets are invited to attend the ceremony today, Valentine’s Day, at 6799 E. Highway 90. The 12,500-square-foot facility was made possible through a $1 million bequest from the estate of Brua, whose career included 13 months as a frontline surgical nurse in Vietnam.
The executor of the Brua estate and longtime friend Janice McIlroy, as well as member’s of Brua’s family, will be present at today’s event. Boy Scout Troop 43 will also be recognized at the event for building and donating dog houses, to be distributed to residents who need a shelter for their adopted dogs.
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The Animal Control Office falls under the management of the Sierra Vista Police Department. Chief Ken Kimmel talked about how bad a new facility was needed, and how appreciative the city is of Brua.
“As an organization, we’ve been waiting for this facility for a very long time, and there’s a lot of credit to be given,” Kimmel said.
Years ago, the City Council-appointed Citizens Advisory Commission toured the longtime former facility at 1124 North Ave.
“And they thought the working conditions and the kennel was a disaster in 1992,” Kimmel said. But it was all there for many years, and the Animal Control staff did their best with what they had, with help from the Public Works Department, Kimmel said.
“The Animal Control employees have done a heck of a job keeping the facility going,” the chief said.
“It’s been a collaborative effort to keep that facility together down there for so long.”
The transition to the big new center has also been a task for the Animal Control employees and its supervisor, Tammie Pineda.
“It’s going to be great for the pet population of the community. The kennels down there are so much nicer than what we have now. There is going to be disease reduction and better control for parvo and feline leukemia, and it’s just going to be a great place for the employees to work in,” Kimmel said. “And we’ve got to give the most credit to the estate of Nancy Brua. What an unselfish thing to do for the community."
The 12,500-square-foot Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center is located at 6799 E. East Highway 90. The center’s phone number is 458-4151.
Its features include:
• 55 dog and 32 cat kennels
• Multiple after-hours holding kennels
• Several smaller rooms for counseling and interviews, playing and getting acquainted with the animals
• Animal areas feature heating, cooling and quality air control
• An enclosed courtyard, soon to be completed
• Isolation areas for quarantined animals
• Secured areas for animals held by court order
• A separate area for puppies and small breeds
• Commercial cleaning equipment, pressure washers and a dishwasher
• A state-of-the-art drain system in the kennels that prevents water from one kennel from going into another, which prevents spreading disease
• A separate fire pump and water storage tank
• Facility can accommodate on-site educational programs, field trips and tours
Herald/Review reporter Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at gentry.braswell@svherald.com.
AZ Resident wrote on Feb 14, 2008 2:03 PM: