New St. Joseph Animal Shelter to open in about a week
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- A decade-long vision will become a reality, as the new St. Joseph Animal Services Shelter on South Belt Highway will be open for business in about a week.
The City will hold a ribbon-cutting for the event at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, at the new location on 3409 S. Belt Highway.
Staff and volunteers from St. Joseph's Friends of the Animal Shelter will be part of the event, and the public is also invited to attend. Tours will be available following the ceremony, when the shelter will be officially open to the public.
The project was funded by a $3.4 million allocation from the city's Capital Improvement Program funds and $1.6 million raised by FOTAS.
According to the City of St. Joseph, discussions about moving the shelter from its existing location at 701 Lower Lake Road have been underway for more than a decade.
The new shelter includes about 13,000 square feet of space, an upgrade from the current 8,000-square-foot facility.
In addition to separate holding facilities for both cats and dogs, the space will offer an area for adopters to interact with pets, an infirmary for shelter animals in need of care, an intake spot and an office area for staff.
The facility will also offer more parking spaces for the public.
Following the ribbon-cutting event held Friday, FOTAS will hold a special grand opening adoption event at the new facility from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The event will include guided tours of the new building, a donation drive for items needed for animal care and activities for kids.
The shelter located at Lower Lake Road will be closed at the end of business on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Public services, including adoption processing, will be unavailable Tuesday, Aug. 25, through Thursday, Aug. 27, as staff move animals and equipment to the new facility.
The shelter is regularly closed on Sundays and Mondays. Field service complaints will continue to be answered during this time.
In the event of rain, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be moved inside the building.
