Raleigh's SPCA of Wake County cut the ribbon on the Peggy Garner Britt Resource Center on Thursday, unveiling a 27,000-square-foot admissions and veterinary hub the nonprofit says will expand its capacity for medical care and shelter services across the region. The new building replaces the organization's older Admissions Center in Garner and is designed to let the organization take in and treat many more animals each year. Staff, volunteers and donors marked the opening with a small ceremony and a puppy parade.
What the center contains
The building brings together a veterinary medical center, an expanded spay and neuter clinic, transfer and intake bays, enlarged cat and dog housing and a community learning space to host training and outreach programs. According to SPCA of Wake County, the new center will double the number of sterilization surgeries the organization can perform and serve as the cornerstone of the Susan and Randall Ward Regional Campus for Pets & People. Organizers say the layout is meant to speed medical turnaround and reduce pressure on municipal shelters across the region.
Aiming to serve more animals
SPCA leaders told local reporters the new facility is intended to help roughly 9,000 animals a year, which is more than double their typical annual caseload. Leaders say that increase will allow them to accept more transfers, ramp up sterilization efforts and expand community programs. The plan and the 9,000-animal target were outlined in local coverage and statements from SPCA leadership, with Kim Janzen, the group's president and CEO, framing the work as a push to "stop unnecessary euthanasia for healthy, adoptable pets." The initial rollout will focus on scaling surgeries and intake workflows so the center can begin handling larger volumes safely and quickly, according to CBS17.
How it was paid for
The project was financed through a multi-year capital campaign that, according to SPCA of Wake County, has raised roughly $25 million toward a $27.5 million goal. The largest single gift was a $5 million donation from Raleigh philanthropist Susan Ward in 2023, which led to naming the campus for Susan and her late husband, Randall, as reported by The News & Observer. Campaign leaders credited dozens of other donors and community partners for getting the center across the finish line.
Why this matters for rural shelters
SPCA Wake serves dozens of counties across North Carolina and regularly moves animals from resource-strapped rural shelters into its care, and leaders told reporters that roughly two-thirds of their intake comes from outlying counties. Those transfers, combined with expanded clinic capacity, are meant to reduce the number of animals that government shelters must euthanize for space or medical reasons. Officials also said the center will support mobile clinics, learning programs and partnerships intended to keep more pets with their families, per CBS17.
What's next
The SPCA says it will renovate the adjacent adoption center in the coming months and phase in public programs as staffing and workflows allow. The group celebrated the ribbon-cutting with a puppy parade and other events on Thursday, coverage of which can be seen in WRAL. Officials say they are finalizing schedules for expanded adoption hours and community clinics and expect the new workflows to come fully online in the weeks ahead.
