DuPage County officials broke ground Tuesday on the first expansion of the DuPage County Animal Services facility in its 45-year history.
The County will construct the expansion on the southern side of the existing building to help alleviate overcrowding in the shelter, create more animal treatment space and better serve the staff, volunteers and visitors to the facility. The expansion will include more than 4,300 square feet of renovations, nearly 11,500 square feet of added enclosed spaces, and a 2,200 square-foot covered patio for outdoor training or events.
"This state-of-the-art shelter will provide a modern, stress-reducing, and healthy home. We will provide the best possible care for all animals, while providing space for our staff to do more for pets and the community," said County Board Chair Deborah Conroy.
The project will cost nearly $11 million and will not utilize any General Fund tax dollars for its completion. The project was made possible by private donors, including one anonymous benefactor who contributed $4.5 million and $1.5 million raised by Animal Services' nonprofit partner, DuPage Animal Friends.
"This facility will become a reality thanks to impressive fundraising efforts. The community played a vital role in making this happen, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped get this project underway," said Brian Krajewski, Chairman of the County's Animal Services Committee.
The DuPage County Animal Services building was built in 1977 and has not been expanded in that timeframe.
DuPage Animal Friends is undergoing a capital campaign to raise funds to offset the amount of reserve funds DuPage County Animal Services will need to spend to complete the expansion. To learn more about the expansion or the capital campaign, please visit https://www.dupagecounty.gov/government/departments/animal_services/capital_campaign.php.
