After roughly 10 years of planning, Wake County Commissioners have officially approved the design for a new animal center. The current Wake County Animal Center was built in 1998 and is located on Beacon Lake Drive.
The long-awaited approval comes after the State's Animal Welfare Section recently conducted an investigation on the shelter. The probe found several violations including failure to replace damaged water receptacles, which was a direct cause of the injury and euthanasia of a dog last year. The shelter also had to pay a $1,400 fine.
The current center is temporarily closed through March until renovations are completed to address the violations. Rhonda Zack is a member of the design team for the new animal center. She said this new facility will house 265 dog kennels.
“That is our project goal, and that is also roughly twice the capacity that we have at the current facility,” she said. “The facility will also have 184 cat condos.”
On top of that, the roughly 54,000 sq. ft. facility located in eastern Wake County will be able to offer a wider range of services than the current, aging facility.
“There's a veterinary services clinic that will provide vaccines, spaying, neutering, and wellness exams to the community,” Zack said.
The foster services section of the facility will also have expanded space.
The project is expected to cost $57 million. Construction could start as early as next year in the spring.
