It has been an emotional month for volunteers and supporters of the Bristol Animal Shelter. Informed that resident cat James and bunny Abby would have to be re-homed, the news triggered rumors that the shelter would soon be closed. Since then, concerned residents, staff, volunteers and friends have mobilized against what they fear is an existential threat to the shelter.

“We have no intention of closing the animal shelter,” said Town Administrator Steven Contente. “At no time did any member of the Council suggest closing the shelter. We need the animal shelter.
“But animals are supposed to be brought in and out of a shelter. It’s not a zoo, and if they aren’t available for adoption they should belong to someone.”

Police Chief Kevin Lynch concurred, and posted a statement on the department’s Facebook page that read in part: “There have been no discussions, plans or considerations by the Police Department or Town officials to close the animal shelter. Any claims suggesting otherwise are simply false.”

Currently, the relationship between the Town and the Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter is operating on an expired Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). An updated one was sent to the Friends in August, and the two sides are still discussing terms. Contente and Police Chief Kevin Lynch sat down with representatives for the Friends last Thursday.

“We never said we were stopping or closing. It’s right in the memorandum of understanding,” said Contente. “We met with two representatives of the Friends of the animal shelter. We had a very productive meeting and we will continue to until the MOU is signed.”
Once an agreed-upon MOU is signed, Contente and Lynch will present it to the Council, at which point open dialogue can happen.

“Normally I don’t discuss ongoing negotiations but so much false information is out there and it’s not fair to the Council members who have not been party to the discussions.”

Sticking points in the process of getting the new MOU signed include staffing, costs, and public safety, all distinct issues that are nonetheless intertwined.

Tax dollars, public safety prioritized
The Bristol Animal Shelter is a great facility, and a source of pride for many. Fundraising began in 2007 and through strong community effort and the passion of many dedicated supporters, the new facility opened its doors in 2014. Though only 12 years old, it was nonetheless conceived of and built at a different time, when feral cat colonies and lower spay and neuter rates meant that the town had many more stray and neglected animals than we do today.

“The animal shelter is a success story,” said Contente. “And we don’t have a significant feral cat problem anymore.”

It’s also not inexpensive to run. While the Friends do fundraise to pay for veterinary services, the complete, adopted 2025-2026 budget of $318,508 includes salaries, benefits, pensions, supplies, security, building maintenance, utilities, vehicles and fuel, among other line items. When the debt service for the construction of the facility itself is added in, the total approaches a half-million dollars annually. The shelter’s budget is separate, but it operates under the auspices of the police department.

“I’m here to represent taxpayers and make sure it’s money spent wisely,” said Contente.

Residents and transients
Currently, in addition to James and Abby, there are two litters of kittens and a handful of dogs in the shelter, which is actually many more animals than the shelter typically houses.

Data from May 31, 2023 through Aug. 5, 2026, shows 117 stray pickups, 3 owner surrenders, 29 transfers, and 44 “other” intakes. Of those, 153 animals were returned to their owners and 47 adoptions were facilitated. Most animals that come into the shelter soon leave with their owners. The facility is largely underutilized; many would like to see that gap filled by bringing in animals from other communities, particularly ones that, unlike Bristol, don’t have a “no-kill” shelter, so they can be adopted.

According to an August memo from Lynch to Contente, “Data provided by ACD Simmons indicates Bristol's stray population is beyond minimal —typically one dog and up to ten kittens annually. In contrast, instate transfers can generate demand for housing up to 150 kittens and as many as five or more dogs per year with additional costs, liability and staffing required.”

However, outside intakes are suspended for now, for staffing, financial and safety concerns.

“We don’t have a full-time Animal Control Officer right now, just our Animal Control Director Heather Simmons and some part-time staffers and volunteers,” said Contente. “It’s not enough to maintain a full animal shelter.”

“Volunteers are valued, integral to the operation of the shelter, and provide exceptional service, but the animals need a lot more supervision than that,” said Lynch.

“We don’t have the level of staff and we don’t need that level of staffing for in-town animals,” said Contente.

Creative solutions
Contente, who has two family dogs himself, wants the town to be able to adopt out more animals, but recognizes that he needs to honor his fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Bristol. “We have been reasonable and are happy to help when we can. There is a need for adoptable animals but there is a cost.”

He would ideally like to see the Friends partner with an outside organization that would help shoulder the costs, citing a 2022 proposal from the ASPCA that ultimately fell through. “With the cost of bringing in outside animals…a partnership would dramatically drop those costs.”
It is unclear where the Friends stand on this issue now, but as of Lynch’s August memo to Contente, there were some issues regarding hypothetical collaborations that may have been impacting negotiations. “…concerns raised by ACD Simmons indicate lingering mistrust stemming from past conversations about third-party management — despite those discussions being focused solely on cost savings, liability reduction, and preservation of the Friends' partnership,” it read.

“We want to see people adopt animals, but it can’t be a burden to the taxpayers of Bristol to pay for Providence’s stray animals,” said Contente. “We have a high school to pay for.”

Liability a serious concern
The current staffing issue at the shelter is a direct result of an incident that happened in 2025, when an ACO was involved in a motor vehicle accident, in a town vehicle, on Bristol Ferry Road in Portsmouth while transporting an animal to the veterinarian.

Though Lynch would not comment on this personnel issue, an internal investigation revealed the ACO in question was not following best practices for safe transport of an animal. The individual chose to retire from town service so there was no administrative action taken but it underscored the need for the department to restate and formalize policies for best practices.

More egregiously, in May of 2023 a shelter volunteer was mauled by a German Shepherd named Lucky that had been brought to the shelter from the Providence pound. According to the report filed by Officer Michael Kelly, the victim, shelter volunteer Ann-Marie Lancaster, suffered serious bites to her lower extremities.

Though the city of Providence misrepresented Lucky’s temperament, going so far as to put “friendly and relaxed” on the transfer form, Capt. Steven St. Pierre conducted a comprehensive investigation that revealed that Lucky had a history in Providence of violent interactions with people and was slated to be euthanized due to the fact that his aggressive behavior made him unadoptable.

Though Lynch said he could not discuss personnel issues with pending litigation, the investigation revealed that then-ACD Deborah DaSilva was aware that the city of Providence had misrepresented Lucky’s temperament, and her employment was terminated.

In April the Town received notice that a lawsuit has been filed by Lancaster’s attorney, naming the Town and DaSilva liable and negligent, and asking for a judgement of $1 million.

Establishing guardrails
“As part of our responsibility to provide the highest level of care for animals in the town’s custody, we are currently conducting an operational review of shelter functions involving town staff assigned to the facility,” reads Lynch’s statement, released last week. “This review is intended to evaluate and strengthen operations, ensure best practices are being followed, and support the long-term welfare of the animals trusted to our care.”

Accordingly, Lynch and ACD Simmons have collaborated on a new release for volunteers, approved by the town solicitor, as well as a new document outlining standard operating procedures.

“I’m very pleased with this document, it gives the ACOs guardrails on how to do things. And we’re advertising for a full-time ACO position.
“The goal is to hire a full-time ACO so the ACD can focus on administrative functions and working with animals. We have an obligation to provide the highest level of care and support with a goal of adopting animals to loving homes.”

The current MOU on the table is essentially a two-year extension of the existing MOU, which will permit some outside animals with approval from both the ACD and the Chief — once staffing needs have been met. As far as the temperament of imported dogs, that concern will be met by a new Department of Environmental Management regulation that requires all transfers to come with a full dossier of any behavioral issues.

Once signed, then the MOU will be presented to the council for their deliberations as well as input from the public.

What about James and Abby?
In a notable concession, Contente and Lynch say the shelter mascots can stay in house.

James and Abby were adopted out, and their care will be the responsibility of their owners. But Contente said they can live out their lives at the animal shelter because that’s what they know.

Meanwhile, the status of the MOU is on hold for at least another week. The town is ready to sign, but according to a shelter volunteer, the representatives of the Friends that met with Contente and Lynch last Thursday are actually “honorary” board members without voting power. They will be presenting the Town’s draft MOU and a summary of their negotiations to the actual board at their next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12. According to this volunteer, nobody associated with the Friends will make a statement until after the 12th. In lieu of a statement they shared this post from their Facebook page:

“Thank you all for your continued support and for standing alongside the Bristol Animal Shelter and its animals. We are working with the Town and remain committed to moving forward together. We will keep you updated. Thank you for being a voice for our community and, most importantly, for the animals. Your support means so much!”