Updated October 22, 2026
Wylie voters are deciding whether to spend $12 million on a new city animal shelter. It's Proposition E on the Nov. 3 ballot, and early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30. The current shelter opened in 2000 and the city says it's full. Wylie took in 918 animals in all of 2025, and more than 816 in just the first eight months of 2026. Fifteen miles away, Frisco is planning a $24 million shelter of its own. The county has signaled it may stop sheltering Frisco's strays after November 2028.
We read Wylie's bond page and election notices, Frisco's project page and council coverage, and Collin County's shelter and parks program pages. Here's what's on the ballot and in the works for dog owners in Collin County, and how to weigh in.
The short version
- Wylie Prop E: $12 million to design, build and equip a new animal shelter. Like every Texas bond item, it's labeled on the ballot "THIS IS A TAX INCREASE."
- Why: Wylie's shelter is 3,500 square feet, built in 2000, plus a 2,000-square-foot kennel added in 2006. The city says it's at capacity, which limits how many animals it can take in.
- Intake is rising. 918 animals in 2025. More than 816 in the first eight months of 2026. By our count, that's a pace roughly a third faster than last year.
- Frisco's plan: At an Oct. 6 work session, Frisco's council chose an 18,101-square-foot shelter with 61 dog kennels and 30 cat kennels, at an estimated $24 million.
- The county piece: Frisco's strays go to the Collin County Animal Shelter in McKinney. Frisco says the county has discussed not renewing that agreement, which would end service in November 2028.
- Also on the ballot: Collin County Prop C, $6 million for parks and open space, and Wylie Prop B, $22.5 million for parks.
- Vote: Early voting runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
What Wylie's Prop E would build
The City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 11 to call a $90.5 million bond election with five propositions. A 16-member citizens' bond committee that met in June recommended the projects, according to the city.
Prop E is the shelter. The city's bond page says the $12 million would cover construction of a new animal shelter "as we approach build-out," including demolition of the existing Parks Maintenance building if needed. The page doesn't give a size, kennel count or design for the new building. Those details would come later if voters approve it.
The city's case is mostly about space. The current shelter at 949 Hensley Lane was built in 2000 at 3,500 square feet, and a 2,000-square-foot kennel was added in 2006. Since then, Wylie has grown a lot. The city says its population went from about 11,000 to 64,000 over 30 years, a 482% increase.
The intake figures, from the city:
- 2025: 918 animals taken in
- 2026, first eight months: more than 816 impounded
By our count, 918 a year works out to about 77 a month. More than 816 in eight months is at least 102 a month. If that pace held all year, Wylie would take in more than 1,200 animals in 2026. The city hasn't published a full-year projection, so treat that as our arithmetic, not the city's.
Wylie runs its own animal control and shelter. Collin County's shelter doesn't serve Wylie, according to the county. So when Wylie's building is full, there's no county shelter that takes the overflow by contract. Wylie Animal Services also only accepts surrenders from city residents, by appointment and subject to space.
How Prop E connects to Prop D
Two of Wylie's five propositions are tied together, and that matters if you're deciding how to vote.
Prop D asks for $5.5 million in bonds, plus $10 million from the utility fund balance, for a new Public Works complex. The city says that complex would go on city-owned land behind the existing animal shelter. Part of Prop D would also renovate the old shelter building for the city's Facilities Maintenance team.
The city says that shelter-reuse piece depends on Prop E passing. Put simply: if Prop E fails, the animals stay in the old building, and that part of Prop D can't happen as planned.
What it could cost you
Wylie hasn't published a per-proposition tax estimate on its bond page. What it does say:
- Debt from the city's 2005 bond will be paid off over the next three years. That lowers the debt portion of the tax rate (the "interest and sinking," or I&S, rate) by about 10 cents.
- About $100 million in bond capacity will roll off in coming years, depending on interest rates and other factors.
- New debt from any 2026 propositions that pass would raise the I&S rate.
The city doesn't say whether the new debt would fully use, partly use or exceed that 10-cent drop. We couldn't find that figure, so we can't tell you the net effect on your bill. The city secretary's office (972-516-6020) is the place to ask.
Frisco's $24 million shelter plan
Frisco doesn't run a shelter. Its Animal Services officers pick up strays and take them to the Collin County Animal Shelter in McKinney. Frisco and McKinney contract with the county for sheltering only. The county does animal control and sheltering for unincorporated areas and 10 smaller cities, including Anna, Melissa, Celina, Prosper and Princeton. Plano, Allen and Wylie run their own.
That arrangement is changing. Frisco's project page says the Collin County Commissioners Court has discussed its intent not to renew its shelter agreement with the city, which would end service in November 2028. In the meantime, on Sept. 15 the Frisco council renewed a one-year shelter contract with the county: Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027, for $524,065, according to Community Impact. Frisco animals make up about 11% of the county shelter's population, which the city describes as "eight dog kennels."
At its Oct. 6 work session, the Frisco council weighed three options, Community Impact reported:
- A baseline shelter: 60 kennels in 14,928 square feet.
- An expanded shelter that could take some animals from nearby cities: 91 kennels in 18,101 square feet. The council chose this one.
- A large regional shelter: 194 kennels and a livestock paddock in 31,267 square feet.
The chosen option has 61 dog kennels, 30 cat kennels and a medical isolation area. City documents put capital costs at about $24 million, annual operating costs at $1.29 million, and operating revenue at $559,000. By our count, that leaves the city about $731,000 a year in net operating cost, before any changes.
The council's reasoning was about risk. Mayor Pro Tem Laura Rummel said a large shared facility risked "biting off more than we can chew." Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Angelia Pelham said Frisco did not want to become "another Collin County animal shelter," and warned that taking in a whole region's animals could bring overcrowding.
A few other details from the city's project page:
- Site: the southwest corner of PGA Parkway at Gateway Drive, next to the Circular Services recycling facility.
- Model: the city would build and own the building, and a private operator would run it under a lease. The council approved a nonbinding letter of intent with the operator in November 2025. A formal operating agreement still needs a council vote.
- Who it serves: Frisco residents and animals. Surrender policies are still being worked out.
The cost has grown. The first estimate, in fall 2025, was $12.8 million. By May it was $18 million to $24 million. Community Impact reported in 2025 that construction could begin as early as January 2028. With service from the county set to end that November, the timing is tight. Frisco's next steps are reviewing a design contract and continuing work on the operating agreement.
Parks on the ballot, too
Two other items on Collin County ballots touch the places you walk your dog. Neither one specifically mentions a dog park.
Collin County Prop C: $6 million for parks and open space. It's the smallest piece of the county's $817.5 million, four-proposition package. County parks bond money mostly goes out to cities, school districts and nonprofits through the county's Project Funding Assistance Program. Applicants have to match each county dollar. The program's stated priorities, in order, are buying land for parks and open space, regional trail projects, and park facility improvements. The county says its 2018 parks bond, $10 million, helped fund 44 projects for 22 entities. The 2023 bond put $20 million into the program.
Wylie Prop B: $22.5 million for parks. It would fund lighting, parking and field improvements at Founders Park and Community Park, and lighting, parking, land and waterfront work at East Fork and Avalon parks on Lake Lavon. Prop B's description doesn't include a dog park.
What you can do
Vote by Nov. 3. Early voting runs Oct. 19–30. Wylie sits in three counties, and you can vote at any early voting site in your own county. Hours, from the city:
- Collin County: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. through Oct. 23; 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Oct. 24; 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Oct. 25; 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Oct. 26–30. Wylie sites include the Collin College Wylie Campus and Wylie Community Park Center.
- Dallas and Rockwall counties: hours differ by county and day. Wylie's elections page lists them.
- Election Day, Nov. 3: polls are open 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Check your sample ballot first. Collin, Dallas and Rockwall counties each have an address lookup, linked from Wylie's elections page. Questions go to the Wylie city secretary at 972-516-6020 or [email protected].
Follow Frisco's shelter plan. The city posts every work session presentation on its proposed animal facility page. You can comment through the city's site feedback form or call 972-292-5000. The operating agreement and design contract both still need council action, so there will be more chances to weigh in.
Help the shelters now. Wylie Animal Services adopts Monday through Saturday, 9–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–4 p.m., at 949 Hensley Lane, Building 100. Adoption is $25 for pets already spayed or neutered when they arrive, or $95 for pets that are spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated by the shelter. The city says Adopt-a-Pet and Petfinder have the most accurate list of who's available. Call 972-429-8047 or email [email protected].
If you live in Wylie, register your dog. City ordinance requires every dog and cat to be registered every 12 months. It costs $10 and requires a current rabies certificate.
The Collin County Animal Shelter, at 4750 Community Ave. in McKinney, holds visitation Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and weekends, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. It's closed Mondays. More options are in our Dallas–Fort Worth shelters directory, and for off-leash time, our DFW dog parks directory.
Nearby heads-up: Fort Worth's free adoptions end Sunday, and its Alliance center stays open
Through Sunday, Oct. 25, Fort Worth Animal Care & Control is waiving adoption fees at its two PetSmart adoption centers for National Adoption Week. The city says the fees are "sponsored and completely free." The locations are PetSmart Hulen (4800 SW Loop 820) and PetSmart Alliance (2900 Heritage Trace Parkway). Both are open Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
The Alliance center almost didn't make it into next year. In August, city staff proposed closing it to save $403,000 in 2027. Staff told the council that the center had handled 11.9% to 13.25% of the city's adoptions in recent years. Without it, the shelter's live release rate would drop from 88.54% to 80.98%, according to the Fort Worth Report. Mayor Mattie Parker said, "I don't think this is somewhere we can just cut." The council unanimously adopted the FY2027 budget on Sept. 15 with the adoption program restored.
Fort Worth voters also approved Proposition F in May: $59.9 million for a new shelter to replace the Chuck & Brenda Silcox Animal Care & Control Center. The city hasn't published a site or a construction schedule yet.
We'll update this article after the Nov. 3 results and when Frisco's council takes its next vote on the shelter.
Sources
- City of Wylie, Bond 2026 – Nov. 3 Election: Propositions A–E, shelter history and intake, Prop D/E dependency, tax impact
- City of Wylie, Elections: early voting dates, hours and locations
- NBC 5 DFW, Dallas County 2026 races and propositions (ballot language for Wylie Props B and E)
- City of Wylie Animal Services, homepage · Adopt a Pet · Pet Registration
- City of Frisco, Animal Facility – Proposed: site, operator model, CCAS agreement, FAQ
- Community Impact, Frisco City Council outlines plans for 18,000-square-foot animal shelter (Oct. 7, 2026)
- Community Impact, Frisco renews one-year contract with Collin County animal shelter (Sept. 17, 2026)
- Community Impact, Frisco's proposed animal facility could cost up to $24M amid county shelter discussions (May 20, 2026)
- Community Impact, Plans for proposed $12.8 million animal facility in Frisco move forward (Nov. 6, 2025)
- Collin County, Animal Services: hours and cities served
- Collin County, Parks and Open Space Project Funding Assistance Program
- Community Impact, Collin County calls $817.5M bond to address growth needs (Aug. 12, 2026)
- City of Fort Worth, National Adoption Week kicks off with a fall twist (Oct. 16, 2026)
- Fort Worth Report, Council deliberates proposed budget cuts, fate of Alliance pet adoption program (Aug. 18, 2026) · Fort Worth reconciles public safety increases, lower tax bill with $1.1B general budget (Sept. 15, 2026)
- City of Fort Worth, 2026 Bond Program: Proposition F and election results
