Reading, PA – Humane Pennsylvania has announced plans to commence demolition and construction of the current Humane Society of Berks County animal shelter at 1801 N. 11th Street, Reading, PA.
Beginning Monday, November 4, 2019, The Humane Society of Berks County will begin a long awaited renovation of its current shelter facility. The new building construction is scheduled to take six months to complete. Upon completion, it will be a state-of-the-art facility that will provide life-changing services to the animals and their caretakers in Berks County. In order to complete this major building project, shelter operations must be suspended, beginning on November 4.
“This renovation is critically important and long overdue. It won’t simply be a nicer animal shelter, it will be a facility that transforms the way we help animals and people in our community and serve as a model nationwide,” stated Karel Minor, President and CEO of Humane Pennsylvania.
During construction, Humane Society of Berks County’s sister shelter, The Humane League of Lancaster County, will still provide full services and operate as normal. People interested in adopting are encouraged to visit the Humane League located at 2195 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602 or other area animal shelters. The animals currently at the Humane Society of Berks County will be adopted out prior to closing with an upcoming Fee-Free Adoption Weekend October 25-27, or transferred the Humane League and made available for adoption.
Due to the scope of this project, The Humane Society of Berks County will not be able to accept surrendered or stray animals starting on Monday, October 27. Those needing to surrender an animal, or who find a stray animal, may visit HumanePA.org for a list of alternative resources. Humane Pennsylvania will resume normal intake and adoption of animals when the new shelter building is completed. Current staff of the Humane Society of Berks County are transitioning to new roles within the organization while the building undergoes construction.
As part of its Healthy Pets Initiative, Humane Pennsylvania recently entered into a purchase agreement of a building at 1350 Schuylkill Avenue, Reading, to continue providing many of the community support services offered in the current animal shelter. Community members may check HumanePA.org for ongoing updates. Humane Pennsylvania’s accredited animal hospitals, Humane Veterinary Hospitals Reading and Lancaster, will also continue to operate and conduct business as normal.
Humane Pennsylvania will continue to release updates throughout this life-changing project. Planning for this project has been ongoing since 2017, and Humane Pennsylvania has been updating its service partners and local municipalities of this upcoming project and its magnitude.
Leann Quire, Director of Shelter Operations, said “We are beyond thrilled for the upcoming Humane Society of Berks County shelter building renovations. The new building will deliver the ability to provide better care for the animals, as well as additional resources for the people in our community. This building and organization experienced many positive changes over the last few decades, but these renovations will surely make a positive impact in Berks County for years to come.”
All funds for the capital projects will come from private donors, as Humane Pennsylvania is not part of and receives no funding from any national animal organizations. Those interested in supporting the capital campaign for the shelter construction may contact Director of Events & Corporate Relations, Lauren Henderson, at [email protected] or 610-750-6100 x 211.
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