Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center founder Stephanie Brady presented a proposal on Oct. 28 for a nonprofit lease and management relationship to operate the Amarillo Zoo, citing the nonprofit’s experience with wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary training partnerships and community education programs.

Why it matters: The zoo is a long‑running city asset that draws regional visitors and school groups. The Wild West plan would shift day‑to‑day operations and fundraising to a nonprofit model, aiming to expand education, upgrade facilities and pursue grants and philanthropic funding the city cannot directly access.

What Wild West proposed
- Convert the city‑run facility to a nonprofit-operated “Amarillo Zoo and Sanctuary,” governed by a board of directors and operated separately from Wild West (the organizations would be distinct).
- Initial requests included city funding support of $300,000 in year one, then tapered support the following year, combined with earned revenue (admissions, memberships and events) and philanthropic support to reduce long‑term taxpayer dependence.
- Immediate priorities described by Brady included a comprehensive veterinary exam of zoo animals by Texas Tech veterinary students, improved signage and interpretation, security upgrades, an integrated admissions/gift‑shop/concessions footprint and long‑term plans to pursue ZAA/AZA accreditation.

Council reaction and next steps
- Councilmembers praised Brady’s nonprofit operating record and asked staff to coordinate interviews with current zoo employees to discuss retention, staffing and transition logistics. City staff confirmed that the land and buildings remain city property and any lease would be an agreement with the municipality.
- Council directed staff to work with the Wild West team to outline a transition plan, including clarity on which facilities the city would continue to own and how new capital improvements would be handled.

Public and partnership context
- Wild West described long‑standing partnerships with Texas Tech University, West Texas A&M and state agencies for wildlife medicine, internships and conservation research. Brady emphasized the organization’s growing volunteer network and history of raising money without city capital.

Ending: Council asked staff to bring back a detailed transition plan, including financial projections, staffing impacts (how many full‑time equivalent employees the nonprofit would need), and lease language outlining city ownership of land and conditions should the nonprofit cease operation.