Brandywine Valley SPCA purchases new, larger facility to replace South Street location
Marina AffoThe Brandywine Valley SPCA will soon have a new campus on Churchmans Road in New Castle.
The building, which was formerly owned by the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware and cost an estimated $4 million, will be more than 12,000 square feet and house the state's first shelter intensive care unit. Adam Lamb, the organization's CEO, said the new facility will become "the largest and most comprehensive" of the SPCA's four campuses.
Double the size of the current location on South Street, the new facility will allow the organization to spay and neuter family pets and improve the quality of life of animals waiting to be adopted, according to the BVSPCA. They typically care for more than 9,000 animals each year.
The ICU will be available for all pets, including those needing critical care when the family can’t afford private specialty hospital services.
Every adoptable dog will have an indoor/outdoor kennel and outdoor play yards not currently available at the current location. Cat housing will double, and the shelter cats will have an outdoor "catio."
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A large community room and larger outdoor area will allow the organization to expand its humane education, volunteering and service groups beyond what is possible at the current location.
“Our mission is not just to be there for animals but to involve people for the betterment of the animals,” said Tanner Polce, BVSPCA's chief advancement officer.
He pointed to programs for children, like summer day camp, birthday parties and junior volunteering as opportunities to "help teach compassion and responsible animal care at an early age."
The new campus is expected to open fall of 2021.
Contact Marina Affo at 302-353-0375 or maffo@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @marina_affo.