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Following the expansion, the shelter’s original building will be dedicated to veterinary and clinic operations, while all shelter and boarding activities are moved to the new building, a plan aimed at improving efficiency and better serving clients.
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
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Shelter staff move play areas in the backyard to prepare for construction on the expansion after the final permit allowing crews to break ground is approved by the City of Cape Coral. Executive Director Liz McCauley hopes construction will start within a few weeks.
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
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The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has 12 dog kennels, limiting the number of dogs it can house at one time and forcing staff to turn some away almost daily. The new building adds 49 kennels and converts the original kennels into an intake area for dogs not yet available for adoption.
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The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has 12 dog kennels, limiting the number of dogs it can house at one time and forcing staff to turn some away almost daily. The new building adds 49 kennels and converts the original kennels into an intake area for dogs not yet available for adoption.
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To create extra space and maintain operations before the expansion, shelter staff convert playrooms into rooms with kennels for smaller dogs, allowing larger dogs or dogs with siblings to stay in bigger kennels for a more comfortable experience
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
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The new 19,000-square-foot building will add more than three times the space to house and care for dogs and cats, compared with the original building’s three cat rooms and occupied playrooms, while also giving prospective adopters more room to interact with animals.
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
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The new building will add separate spaces for donated goods and laundry operations, which previously shared one room, creating extra space for additional supplies for pets and families in need.
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
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The expansion will provide an enclosed storage area with a garage door, keeping equipment out of the elements and reducing maintenance costs.
Samuel Brucker/WGCU
While the Cape Coral Animal Shelter serves pet owners with veterinary and boarding services, it also gives pets without homes a place to stay.
In recent years, however, the shelter’s executive director Liz McCauley said this has been difficult to maintain as constraints on facility space inhibit efficiency of provided services as well as kennel vacancies for pets with no home.
To address this, the shelter aims to expand its overstretched facility, allowing more room to open up new possibilities.
McCauley said the shelter expansion project is set to break ground in January 2026, estimating a timeframe between 10 and 12 months for completion. She also said that the project is estimated to cost $8 million—$4 million more than the shelter has been able to set aside for it while still maintaining operations.
In an effort to acquire the outstanding amount, shelter staff have launched a capital campaign fundraiser through which pet lovers can personally contribute to, ensuring the project’s fruition.
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