Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

2 days ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

2 days ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

3 days ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 days ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

3 days ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 days ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

3 days ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

3 days ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

3 days ago
Like a Good Neighbor? Resistance to Animal Shelter in NW Fresno.
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
October 12, 2018

Share

Hundreds of northwest Fresno residents attended a community meeting Wednesday night (Oct. 10) with a majority of speakers opposing a proposed $6 million animal shelter and clinic in the area.
Residents clad in Fresno Humane Animal Services shirts aired support for the project, too.
Whether it goes forward is up to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, which will vote a proposed zoning change to accommodate the project Oct. 23. The decision rests in county leaders hands since the parcel of land lies in county territory, despite being surrounded by neighborhoods within Fresno’s city limits.
The meeting was called by Supervisor Brian Pacheco, in whose district the shelter is proposed. Last month, the supervisors delayed a vote on the rezoning so that the shelter proponents could address community concerns previously aired.
“I don’t know if we changed anyone’s mind,” Pacheco told GV Wire. Pacheco, as is his custom, didn’t disclose how he would vote.

The Project Details

Businessman and philanthropist Derrel Ridenour owns the 26 acres of land on Grantland Avenue, south of Parkway Drive.
His plan is to donate four acres and finance the construction of the shelter/clinic for FHAS. The nonprofit animal adoption agency says its current location near Nielsen and Teilman avenues on the parking lot of the old county morgue is outdated and too cramped.
Ridenour has said that the facility would be modeled on the state-of-the-art Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center in Clovis.
Ridenour plans to use the remaining land to build a Derrel’s Mini Storage.

GV Wire Locator Map/Alexis DeSha

A Skeptical Neighborhood

Derrel Ridenour (GV Wire photo/David Taub)
Neighbors peppered Ridenour and FHAS board president Brenda Mitchell with questions and accusations.
Although things got testy at times, the crowd at the Dante Club, just south of the proposed location generally behaved well.
Residents expressed concerns over noise, pests (rodents, fleas, etc.), lower home values and safety to their children. The proposed center would operate across the street from Herndon-Barstow Elementary School.
“I want to be your neighbor and a good one,” Mitchell told the audience.
Some booed. One member said a Massachusetts real estate agent she spoke with said home values would decrease if an animal shelter is built nearby. Others were skeptical of such unverified information coming from an out-of-state expert.

Neighbors Ask ‘What if?’

Ridenour and Mitchell answered what-if scenarios and explained mitigation measures intended to alleviate neighbor concerns.
What if dogs escaped the kennel? Would they bite their children? Mitchell explained the importance of teaching children the proper way to approach animals.
What if the barking is too loud? Mitchell said they would mitigate such noise by making sure dogs don’t actually face each other when locked away.
What if the pesticides used to clean dogs affected the health of the children, a local teacher asked.
“What you describe is not reality,” Ridenour answered.

The Only Location

Neighbors asked why the shelter couldn’t be built elsewhere.
Ridenour told the audience that this would be the only location he is willing to fund. He already owns the land.
He noted that no taxpayer dollars would be used for the building or maintenance, which didn’t satisfy some. They wanted the shelter to be built in a more rural area, even if that meant using public funds.

A rendering of a proposed animal shelter on Grantland Avenue (Image/Fresno Humane Animal Services)
Jeff Roberts, a development consultant, moderated the event, along with Ridenour and FHAS staff members.
(Disclosure: Roberts works for the Darius Assemi, publisher of GV Wire. While Assemi is not involved with the project, the shelter is proposed near a neighborhood built by Assemi’s Granville Homes.)
 

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

DON'T MISS

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

DON'T MISS

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

DON'T MISS

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

DON'T MISS

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

DON'T MISS

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rachelle Maria Blanco

UP NEXT

Fresno Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint on Fourth of July, Boost Holiday Patrols

UP NEXT

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

UP NEXT

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

UP NEXT

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

UP NEXT

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

UP NEXT

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Recover Some of the $40,000 in Fireworks Stolen From Bullard High Team

UP NEXT

Riverdale High School Coach Arrested for Allegedly Arranging to Meet Minor

UP NEXT

Could Cuddly Colby Be the Darling Gem for You?

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

7 hours ago

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

7 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

7 hours ago

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

7 hours ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

1 day ago

What’s Caitlin Clark Worth to the WNBA? A Lot More Than Her $78,066 Salary.

1 day ago

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

2 days ago

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

2 days ago

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

2 days ago

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

2 days ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

A suspected DUI driver crashed into a parked California Highway Patrol motorcycle and tow truck along Highway 99 near North Avenue, missing ...

6 hours ago

A 22-year-old suspected DUI driver crashed into a parked CHP motorcycle and tow truck on Highway 99 near Fresno, narrowly missing an officer and bystanders, CHP said Saturday, July 5, 2025. (CHP)
6 hours ago

Fresno DUI Driver Slams Into CHP Motorcycle, Tow Truck on Highway 99

A service member of a drone unit of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces controls a heavy combat drone while it flies over positions of Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk Region, Ukraine June 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Russia Downs 120 Ukrainian Drones Overnight, Defense Ministry Says

An Israeli tank maneuvers in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 6, 2025. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
6 hours ago

Israel Sends Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Talks Ahead of Netanyahu Trip to US

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned nearly 80,000 acres as of Sunday, July 6, 2025, morning, prompting widespread evacuation orders and warnings across three counties. (CalFire)
7 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to Nearly 80,000 Acres, 30% Contained

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. (Reuters File)
7 hours ago

Musk Announces Forming of ‘America Party’ in Further Break From Trump

A search dog operates at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 5, 2025. (Reuters/Sergio Flores)
7 hours ago

Death Toll From Texas Floods Reaches 59, Including 21 Children

2024 Democratic National Convention
7 hours ago

California’s Politics Drifts Right While New York’s Leans Left

Solar Farm in Riesel, Texas
1 day ago

How Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Make China Great Again

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend