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Rainy conditions have pushed the completion of the first phase of the Blount County Animal Center back about a month.

The building was scheduled to be completed in February, but it will be March or April now before workers can finish work on the shell.

"As you know, the block work has been a little slow," said Rick Yeager of the Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation, which has been raising funds to build the new animal shelter.

"It's been a monsoon," SMACF President Chris Protzman said. "... (The site) is literally too saturated to work. Great. Our luck -- it's been basically drought conditions for the past three years."

Bill Steverson, construction manager for the project, said that if weather allows crews to put in significant time on block work next week, the building could be completed by March.

"When it's dry, it's too cold," Steverson said. "When it's warm, it's been too wet."

The estimated cost to build the Blount County Animal Center facility as designed is $1.6 million. The County Commission previously appropriated $430,000, which includes $80,000 raised by the SMACF and $350,000 in seed money that the commission authorized in 2007, that will allow the core of the facility to be built.

The general contractor for the animal shelter is Carico Construction of Louisville.

The animal center is set to open in three phases. Currently, SMACF is about $178,000 away from the necessary funding to complete Phase I, which consists of operational kennels and limited office space. Last month, the Clayton Family Foundation donated $20,000 to the Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation to help build the facility.

The animal shelter is being built behind the Boys and Girls Club, 241 Currie Ave. Animal control has been a subject of controversy since the previous County Commission declined to continue funding a now-expired contract with Maryville for animal control services.

The Loudon County Commission has extended an agreement to accept local animals at the Loudon County Animal Shelter for $4,000 a month until June 30, 2009. Anyone interested in volunteering or donating supplies for the shelter can contact Chris Protzman at 865-824-1700.