Executive Director of the Ottawa Humane Society Bruce Roney plays with the shelter’s spokesdog at the groundbreaking of the new shelter with Minister John Baird, Laureen and Rachel Harper.
Construction of the Ottawa Human Society’s new animal shelter will soon be underway now that local dignitaries have officially broken ground at the new site at 171 West Hunt Club Road.
The new building, designed by architect Barry Hobin, will cost $9.5 million and provide 40,000 sq. feet of space for Ottawa’s homeless dogs, cats and rabbits.
The sociey’s current shelter, located on Champagne Avenue, was built in 1968 and was designed to house 2,800 animals and is only 15,000 sq. feet. Today, there are more than 11,000 animals in the shelter during peak periods and cats must housed in rabbit cages in the hallways.
Veteran shelter employee Joan Whelan, who has worked there 37 years, says she’s excited about the new building.
“It will be a much healthier environment, right now our shelter is too crowded and everything is falling apart,” says Whelan.
John Baird, federal minister of transport, infrastructure and communities, participated in the event to mark the federal government’s $3.5 million contribution to the project.
Laureen Harper, an active Humane Society foster care volunteer,was there too and said she’s excited for the new shelter because it will mean that the third floor of her house at 24 Sussex Drive will no longer need to be the shelter’s overflow site.
Harper, wife of the prime minister, fostered more cats last year than any other foster volunteer.
Some of the new shelter’s amenities will inlcude rooms where cats won’t need to stay in cages, walking trails for dogs, and a small animals’ room for rabbits.
The shelter is expected to be completed next year. The society continues to raise funds for the project.