DATE: May 13, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Mendheim, Animal Care and Adoption Division
PHONE: 954-359-1010
EMAIL: lmendheim@broward.org
BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The County's "pet project," a state-of-the-art $15.2 million contemporary animal shelter and adoption center, will kick-off construction with a special "ground-digging" event on Friday, May 15th at 10AM at the shelter's new site, 2400 SW 42nd Street, Fort Lauderdale 33312.
The event will be highlighted by special canine "dig"nitaries digging the first mounds of dirt.
The 40,000-square-foot modern shelter will be located in the Broward Municipal Services District, directly across from Broward's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport long-term economy parking lot. Once complete, the shelter will be situated on a landscaped, six-acre parcel of land. The new building will replace the aging and outdated Adoption Center located on SW 39th Street.
To celebrate the "ground-digging" event, from May 15th through May 17th residents are invited to "Name Your Price" and pay an amount of their choice to adopt a new pet from adult dogs and cats to puppies and kittens. Adopters will receive a special bag of treats to commemorate the event.
"The new shelter demonstrates our continued commitment to the pets of Broward County," said Mayor Tim Ryan. "It will allow us to better serve the residents and pets in our community with a much more comfortable and spacious environment than our current location."
"The biggest news for the new shelter is that the entire building, including the kennel areas, will be enclosed," said Lisa Mendheim, Public Education Coordinator. "Currently, most of our kennel areas are open air. However, in the new shelter, all of our pets, guests and staff will enjoy the comfort of an inside, air-conditioned environment year-round."
Stiles Construction of Fort Lauderdale will manage the construction of the project in partnership with the architectural design firm, LIVS Associates of Coral Gables, which will oversee the interior design and processes of the shelter.
Animal Care staff and all pets will be relocated to the new shelter which is set to open in Spring 2016.
About Animal Care
Broward County Animal Care and Adoption is dedicated to providing shelter for lost and homeless animals. The agency provides access to hundreds of shelter pets hoping for a new home. Please prevent unwanted animals and have your pet spayed or neutered. For more information about the agency, visit Broward.org/animal, or "like us" on Facebook.com/BrowardPets.