The 2015 Facilities Master Plan indicated that the current animal shelter had exceeded its design capacity. In 2019, Sugar Land voters approved a new animal shelter to address the City's projected growth. Due to COVID pandemic related financial constraints in 2020, the project schedule was extended from three to five years. In 2023, after exploring regionalization options and finding them unfeasible, City Council directed the planning for a standalone animal shelter. Due to inflation and City growth, previously approved funding is not sufficient to build a shelter to meet current and projected service levels.