After years of planning, fundraising, and rebuilding in the wake of a devastating 2021 fire, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is finally ready to throw open the doors of its new, 25,000‑square‑foot Orlando shelter this Saturday, March 28. The nonprofit will kick things off with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting, followed by a noon "pawty," and adoptable animals will be on site for anyone ready to go home with a new furry roommate. The building is designed to expand the group’s medical capacity and adoption services across Central Florida.
Opening Day and Where to Go
According to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, the new Orlando shelter, which includes the Kylie J. Capri Campus and the Edward H. Hensley Adoption Center, will open to visitors on Saturday with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting and a public celebration starting at noon. The organization lists the address as 4311 S. John Young Parkway, with adoption hours running from noon to 6 p.m. daily.
Clinic Space, Quarantine Rooms and Kitten Care
The 25,000‑square‑foot facility doubles the nonprofit’s medical space and includes disease‑specific quarantine areas, neonatal kitten rooms, flexible emergency‑response spaces, and outdoor play areas, as reported by Orlando Weekly. The outlet notes that Pet Alliance describes the campus as home to what it calls the largest shelter‑based veterinary clinic in Florida, set up to treat more medically sensitive animals that might otherwise struggle in a standard shelter.
Where the Money Stands
Pet Alliance’s Almost Home capital campaign is closing in on a $15 million goal, and the organization’s online materials list roughly $315,000 left to raise to finish the project, per Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. Local coverage has reported the same fundraising gap, underscoring that community donations pushed the project close to the finish line while a shortfall remains, according to ClickOrlando.
Why the Rebuild Matters
The new shelter replaces a Conroy Road facility destroyed by an electrical fire in September 2021. WFTV reported at the time that more than a dozen cats died in the blaze and that surviving animals were sent to the organization’s Sanford location and other temporary sites. The loss squeezed intake capacity across the region for years, and staff say the new facility is built to restore and expand the shelter’s lifesaving footprint.
A Local Voice on Opening Day
“We are ecstatic the time is finally here for us to move into our beautiful, new shelter and open our doors to the public,” interim executive director Lindsay Framstead said in a statement to Orlando Weekly. Framstead added that the expanded clinic and quarantine rooms will help Pet Alliance respond both to emergencies and to the seasonal surge in kittens that shelters typically see in the spring.
How to Visit, Adopt or Help
The grand‑opening celebration will feature a live DJ, food trucks, merchandise, and family activities, with adoptable pets on site for meet‑and‑greets, according to ClickOrlando. For those who cannot adopt, Pet Alliance notes that people can still pitch in by donating to the Almost Home campaign, fostering or volunteering with the organization, with details available through its online pages and local coverage.
