Compass Datacenters Commits $15 Million to Build New Ellis County Animal Shelter, Answering the Community's Urgent Call

Landmark Partnership with Ellis County Would Deliver a Permanent, Modern Facility Following Last Year's Regional SPCA Closure

ELLIS COUNTY, Texas, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When the SPCA of Texas closed its Ellis County regional care center on April 15, 2025, local rescue volunteers stepped up. They worked nights and weekends, opened their homes, and stretched every resource they had to keep animals safe. A year later, their neighbor, Compass Datacenters, is stepping up with them.

Ellis County and Compass Datacenters today announced a proposed $15 million grant agreement to fund the construction of a new, state-of-the-art municipal animal shelter. If approved by the Ellis County Commissioners Court, the project would provide a permanent, community-owned solution designed to serve Ellis County residents and animals for decades to come. Compass's $15 million commitment ensures this facility will be built with the long-term well-being of both animals and residents at its heart.

"The volunteers held this together for a year on grit and goodwill," said Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters. "What Ellis County deserves now is something permanent. A real building, built right, that's still serving this community long after any of us are around to see it. We plan to be a 100-year neighbor to Ellis County, and this is part of what that looks like."

For Compass, this commitment reflects the close partnership the company has built with Ellis County since construction began on its Red Oak data center campus more than six years ago. That partnership includes initiatives like the MEI Data Center Pathway Program, an accelerated, hands-on training program developed with Texas State Technical College that fast-tracks local workers into high-paying, generational careers in mechanical, electrical, and information technology. The new animal shelter is what that six-year partnership looks like in practice.

"As a Class A data center developer, we've always believed that when a community welcomes you in, you have a responsibility to act like a neighbor, not just a tenant," said Crosby. "That philosophy has guided our partnership with Ellis County for the past six years, from supporting local hiring and workforce development initiatives to thoughtfully designing our Red Oak campus to coexist responsibly with the surrounding community. Supporting a new municipal animal shelter is a natural extension of that commitment and represents the next chapter in our ongoing investment in the people and future of Ellis County."

"When the SPCA pulled its contract last year, it created a significant gap in services across our county," said John Wray. "Community members were left with no options, volunteers were stretched thin, and it became clear that Ellis County needed a long-term solution. This $15 million gift gives us the opportunity to create something our community can be proud of for generations to come. Compass has shown a genuine commitment to the people of Ellis County and to our future."

Ellis County and Compass are collaborating closely to ensure the new shelter meets the needs of the community and Compass's Class A standards. The County will share groundbreaking timelines and additional project details as they are finalized.

For more information and project updates, visit www.elliscountytx.gov.

About Compass Datacenters Compass Datacenters is doing data centers differently. The company builds Class A campuses designed to be good neighbors for the long haul, guided by a 100-year neighbor philosophy that invests in the workforce, infrastructure, and well-being of every community that welcomes a Compass campus. Compass delivers highly sustainable, custom-built facilities for the cloud, hyperscale and enterprise customers driving today's economy, combining a patented modular design methodology with advanced cooling, responsible water and energy use, and zero-waste construction practices. The result is move-in ready infrastructure that scales digital capacity efficiently, and responsibly, wherever Compass builds. Data Centers Done Differently.

Learn more at www.compassdatacenters.com.

SOURCE Compass Datacenters