More than 5,200 Hillsborough County residents have signed a petition demanding the county upgrade the aging Pet Resource Center. Advocates plan to press their case at a county budget meeting Thursday.

Commissioner warns Rays stadium deal leaves shelter underfunded

The push matters for Apollo Beach and Ruskin residents. Commissioner Joshua Wostal, who represents South Shore, voted against the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal and has been sounding the alarm about what the commitment means for other county projects.

Wostal laid out the budget math in a WFLA report published Sept. 7. Of the $600 million Community Investment Tax (CIT) budget, about $570 million has already been designated to community facilities countywide, including roughly $360 million to the Rays stadium, he said. That leaves about $30 million. The shelter upgrade alone would cost at least $35 million.

"Somebody is not going to get their money, period. It's a mathematical reality," Wostal said.

County commission approved stadium deal in 5-2 vote

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 on Aug. 28 to approve the Rays stadium financial agreement. WTSP reported the CIT contribution to the stadium at $350 million. Wostal and Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda cast the two dissenting votes. After the vote, Wostal told WTSP he was saddened by a lack of transparency in how the agreement came together.

Shelter floods, lacks air conditioning, advocates say

The Pet Resource Center, at 440 N. Falkenberg Road in Tampa, is about 40 years old. It is the only open-admission shelter in Hillsborough County, meaning it cannot turn away strays, hoarding cases, owner surrenders or abused animals.

John Marinello, a member of the Animal Advocates of Hillsborough County, described the facility's condition: It floods during heavy rain and has no air conditioning or heating. Marinello wore a shirt reading "Promises made but not kept" during the WFLA report.

As we reported Sept. 3, the petition had about 2,000 signatures at that time. It has since more than doubled.

County says shelter project isn't dead, but recommendation is months away

County administration has pushed back on claims the shelter project is dead. A memo from the deputy county administrator, shared by a Pet Resource Center spokesperson, stated that no one in county administration has proposed eliminating or reducing funding for the upgrade. The memo outlined possible funding paths: a larger bond issue, a pay-as-you-go allocation over two to five years, or another mechanism.

The county told Tampa Bay 28 in early September that staff began evaluating shelter needs in 2024. Officials expect to have a recommendation for the county administrator and board toward the end of 2026 or early 2027. The county's initial cost estimate was about $30 million, but officials acknowledged that figure has likely risen due to construction inflation.

Two upcoming meetings will shape shelter's funding fate

Advocates see two key dates ahead. Marinello and other members of the Animal Advocates of Hillsborough County plan to speak at the Sept. 10 budget meeting. A separate meeting on Sept. 24 will determine what stays in the CIT budget for fiscal year 2028.