By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the city's animal shelter will close later this year because it is "outdated and incapable of humanely caring for abandoned animals."
The city has sought to replace the shelter with a new one funded by a private nonprofit organization. However, the lagging economy has slowed fundraising efforts.
Slay says the city will no longer provide what he calls "substandard" care for animals while waiting for the economy and fundraising to improve.
So the city will contract with a nonprofit animal agency to care for animals picked up.
A spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Missouri says the organization will consider its options in working with the city.