Plumbing 
A rendering of a planned building on North Camp Street set to house the new Janey Briscoe Marmion Memorial Shelter. The Humane Society of Uvalde, which will be changing it’s name to the Briscoe Animal Resource Center, has kicked off a $3 million capital campaign with a $1.5 million donation from Jill and Chip Briscoe.
The Humane Society of Uvalde received a $1.5 million donation from the Chip and Jill Briscoe family to fund a new facility for the organization that will house more animals and provide more resources to the Uvalde community.
The updated and modern facility, which will be located on North Camp Street, will be named the Janey Briscoe Marmion Memorial Shelter in remembrance of Chip Briscoe’s late sister.
“There are no words that can adequately describe how amazed we are by this blessing. Our community has experienced so much tragedy recently. This will surely uplift many spirits, knowing that we are well on our way to obtaining the resources we need to keep supporting Uvalde,” said HSU board president Kelley Kimble. “This is a new chapter for our organization, one that we were ushered into generously by Mr. Briscoe and his family.”
Janey Briscoe Marmion, daughter of former Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe, was heavily involved with the organization in the past, contributing significantly to the nonprofit’s positive trajectory.
“We are excited to honor my sister, Janey, with this gift,” Chip Briscoe said. “This organization and animals in general were very important to her. She was a longtime supporter and we wanted to honor her continuing legacy in this way for the Uvalde community.”
The gift is the largest single donation the organization has received, and officially kicks off the capital campaign, aiming to raise approximately $3 million for building construction.
In addition, HSU is taking the opportunity to officially change its name to the Briscoe Animal Resource Center (BARC) of Uvalde and will also undergo a full color scheme and logo rebrand.
“It’s our honor to move forward into the future with the Briscoe name attached to our mission,” said Kimble. “We are linking two prominent legacies in the Uvalde area that have flourished separately, but can do even more together.”
New shelter plans
The Janey Briscoe Marmion Memorial Building will expand the number of animals that the organization can house – from 15 to 40 dogs and from 12 to 20 cats.
The new facility will be equipped to offer therapy dog services, with built-in spaces to facilitate children spending time with in-house animals and learning proper pet care.
The city’s Animal Control Office will also be housed in the same building, as a separate entity from BARC Uvalde.
In addition to recognizing a new beginning, the organization’s planned rebrand will aim to reflect the true nature of the organization’s mission: to provide robust community resources and initiatives; to manage pet overpopulation; to rescue and adopt animals in need and to provide guidance on best pet ownership practices.
Rescue efforts
The Humane Society of Uvalde, which is not affiliated with the national Humane Society organization, has grown in recent years.
In 2021, it spent $40,000 to pay for over 360 vouchers for city and county residents to spay or neuter their pets for free, to beautify the city and to help mitigate animal-borne diseases.
The organization also raised nearly $345,000 throughout the last two fiscal years. To date the organization has rescued 2,861 animals through its Flights to Furever program.
The program, founded in 2013, works with rescue organizations in Western New York to place dogs and cats in homes and raises funds to transport them.
For more information on BARC Uvalde’s capital campaign, email kelleytkimble@gmail.com or call 830-591-7488.
