By JIM FARIS
The City of Saint Joseph will cut a ribbon to officially open the new St. Joseph Animal Services building at 3409 S. Belt Highway next Friday, August 28th.
A ceremony set for 1 PM will see city leadership, staff and volunteers from Friends of the Animal Shelter celebrate and give tours of the new facility. 3.4 million dollars in funding for the new center was secured by the Capital Improvement Program, with an additional 1.6 million raised by the Friends. Work on the shelter began in June 2025.
The new shelter includes around 13 thousand square feet of space, 5 thousand more than the previous space at Lower Lake Road. That means separate space for cats and dogs, more space for adopters to meet their furred friends, an infirmary for pets in need, as well as specific intake spots and office space for staff.
The current shelter will close at the end of business Saturday, August 22nd. Services will be unavailable between August 25th and 27th, as staff move animals and equipment to the new location. Field complaints will still be answered during this time.