Roughly a year and a half after its New Orleans shelter was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana SPCA has opened a new, state-of-the-art New Orleans Animal Rescue and Care Center.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held May 18 for the center, and throughout this weekend, tours of the new shelter will be given. Presentations, refreshments, and giveaways were also planned for throughout the weekend.
The new shelter was designed with the animals’ and potential adopters’ better interests in mind. Each of the animal areas has its own air exchange system with individual vents pulling air directly from the animals out of the building.
In addition, six exercise yards have been built offering the opportunity for multiple volunteers and staff to spend one-on-one time with the dogs. Adoptable cats reside in a kennel complete with a soft bed and a privacy area.
The new facility represents the culmination of the first of three phases in a Louisiana SPCA campaign to permanently return to New Orleans. The construction of the $8 million shelter was accomplished through donations.
“We’re still depending on the good graces of the country. We’ve survived on donations, they mean a lot to us. It’s very heartwarming,” Maloney said.