Dreams of the Bowie government building a modern animal shelter in the city might have been dashed for the time being.

Despite passionate, emotional pleas from a packed room full of animal advocates, council members indicated that a new facility is not a cost-efficient endeavor.

"People in Bowie and their companions deserve better," said Dr. James Murphy during a City Council work session Monday night. "We can be a city that follows ... or we can be a city that leads and is in the forefront of humane compassionate care of our companion animals."

Murphy, a local veterinarian, was a member of a task...