When he was sworn in last year, the mayor’s office had already secured $145,000 for the project, which included $80,000 from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation and about $63,000 from former Mayor Juan B. Tudela.
Flores said he is very anxious to start the program as his office continues to receive concerns from the public regarding dogs.
He is also planning to work with the Department of Public Works on the facility’s architectural design.
“I’ve already met with architect Crystal Mina of DPW who will help in the kennel design,” Flores said.
He said the stray animal shelter program does not have a budget to hire an architect from the private sector.
He is not sure how much Mina’s services will cost. “It is possibly free or it won’t cost too much,” he added.
Once the kennel design is finalized, Flores said they can start the kennel construction.
He said the Northern Marianas Trades Institute will provide manpower in building the shelter. Students of NMTI already helped clean the shelter site in Lower Base.
Flores expressed his appreciation to Mina and DPW Secretary Martin Sablan for their assistance in making the stray animal shelter program a reality.
