After breaking ground nearly two years ago, the long-awaited expansion and renovation of DuPage County Animal Services’ facility in Wheaton is complete.
County officials will commemorate the $13.5 million feat — the first enlargement of the 140 N. County Farm Road facility in its 48-year history — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday.
“I like to tell people it’s been a pinch-me moment because we’ve talked about (doing this) for so long,” Animal Services Administrator Laura Flamion said.
Work consisted of adding 11,486 square feet of enclosed space, building a 2,217-square-foot covered patio for outdoor training or events and renovating 4,340 square feet of existing shelter space, according to a news release.
In addition to the 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting, Saturday’s event will include tours and family-friendly activities, officials said. Animals will be available for adoption between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The building dates back to 1977. The shelter typically receives 2,000 animals a year, from cats and dogs to rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, parakeets, exotic birds, reptiles and chickens.
Part of the expanded space is a new community room, where staff can host private events and community programming, Flamion said. Another addition is something Flamion dubbed “a real-life room,” essentially a space that mimics the comforts of home, she said. The idea is to give dogs a space where they can decompress outside of kennels and department staff a new environment in which to evaluate dogs’ behavior, she said.
For cats, there’s an expanded intake room, a larger adoption room, an added gym and a meet-and-greet room, she said. There’s also a new lobby space to welcome patrons and improved workspaces for staff and volunteers.
Flamion said she is especially excited for the community room.
“It’s very important for us to make sure we’re very visible in the community and engaging with the community,” she said, “and that space allows us (to do that).”
The DuPage County Board approved the expansion and renovation project in May 2022 and broke ground in July 2023.
Funding has come from a mix of private donations and county funds. When the board initially OK’d the plan, it approved a $4.5 million loan from the county’s general fund to help cover construction costs. What really kicked the project into motion, though, was an anonymous benefactor who contributed a $4.5 million gift to the venture, Flamion said.
To date, the Animal Services Department’s nonprofit partner, DuPage Animal Friends, has also raised more than $5.8 million to offset project costs, according to DuPage Animal Friends’ website. The capital campaign is still ongoing.
“I think it’s so exciting for everybody involved,” DuPage County Animal Services Foundation Coordinator Jillian Boyle said. “All of the things we’re going to be able to do with the expanded space is just incredible.”
DuPage Animal Friends would like to bring in enough money to cover project costs in full, Boyle said.
If fundraising is not enough, however, the Animal Services Department will cover the rest with reserves, Flamion said.
As officials prepare to ring in the expansion, County Board District 3 Member Brian Krajewski — a Downers Grove Republican who chairs the county board’s Animal Services Committee — said he’s eager for people to take advantage of new and renovated space.
“I’m super excited about this being open to the community,” he said. “It’s a long time coming.”
