With the Pet Connection having indicated it will close its doors to pound and shelter facilities on July 17, Bismarck police chief Debra Ness is attempting to come up with an interim solution.

Ness had hoped to bring a plan to the Bismarck City Commission Tuesday, but will now wait until July 25 with the issue. She is working on final details on the lease with Jim Nelson, who built and owns the building the Pet Connection leases in north Bismarck.

Once the lease details for the building are finalized Ness will send out information to several parties, including Pet Connection, which are interested in managing the facility. Ness' plans call for leasing the building for a year and contracting for management. The police chief also has gotten the city commission to agree to putting a measure on November general election ballot to add a half mill to property taxes with revenue dedicated to the pound and shelter.

"I've had four or five different parties express interest in managing the facility. When we have a better date on when we can take over the building itself, it will determine what service program we'll pursue," Ness said. "We'll work it out with the Pet Connection and the building's owner that the building will continue operation until it's actually determined what date the city will take over the lease."

Pet Connection representative Shelly Bank says the shelter has continued to take animals and won't close until the future of the more than 200 animals is determined.

"I don't envision closing the shelter until the animals are taken care of," Bank said.

Bank added the Pet Connection board is confused by what's happening with the city. They're unsure on whether the city will actually take over pound operations and also run the shelter.

"We're waiting to see what criteria is sent out. Once they mail out some qualifications we'll know more," Bank said. "We'd love to keep running the facility and make for a smooth transition."

A lot of work, energy and money have been put into keeping the Pet Connection running the last six to seven years, according to Nelson. He hopes the facility will continue to operate and that the building will continue to be used, because that was what it was designed and built for.

"I'm hoping some organization, be it the Pet Connection or some other, runs the animal shelter out of that building," Nelson said. "I've been with the Pet Connection since it started and had been on the board until last December."

Nelson likes the idea of leaving the decision of the shelter's future up to the voters. He added that the shelter has been a heavy drain on cash and there is limited funds available through charitable giving.

"For the last six years its been a struggle to make ends meet. That's why it's closing, there just aren't enough funds," Nelson said. "The building has been there for six years and the pet shelter hasn't had to pay any rent. Even without paying rent they're running at a loss. If they didn't have it rent free it wouldn't have lasted near this long."

The city is required to run a pound, according to Nelson, but it also needs the shelter. He hopes the voters of Bismarck also will see it that way.

Nelson praised the work of the people involved in Pet Connection, but wishes more effort would have been put into some sort of fundraising.

"The people involved in Pet Connection and the board love animals, but none are professional fundraisers," Nelson said. "If we had a few more people involved that were better in raising money, that would have helped. We did have some fundraisers that did help, but we need something more long term."

The future of the building is totally up in the air after the one-year lease expires with the city, Nelson said. He feels that keeping the pound and shelter facility together is the best way to go, making it easier to rescue animals and adopting them out.

Ness is comfortable she will have something for the city commission's consideration at its July 25 meeting.

"We do have an alternative plan to run a pound outside the present facility, our hope is not to go there," Ness said. "It comes down to financial support. In order to be fair to the citizens they need to have a voice on the spending of tax dollars. Once they vote I'll have some direction on what to do for the long term."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)