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Amidst the organization’s daily work to
improve the lives of animals, the year following Katrina was
equally dominated by the launching of LA/SPCA’s $17 million
capital campaign, titled “Come. Stay. Heal.” Moving beyond
the destruction of Katrina, the LA/SPCA envisioned a
three-phased LA/SPCA Campus.
 Phase
I was designed to establish the basic functions of
animal sheltering in New Orleans, providing a space for
animal control services, stray animal collection, and
cruelty investigations. The Adoption Center is located in
this building temporarily while the second phase, that will
feature a full scale adoption center, is being constructed.
Phase I also has a small veterinary clinic to provide
medical care to the shelter’s animals and a classroom that
is used for training and educational programs. Phase I,
which costs $8 million to complete, is paid for in full
thanks to the generous support of hundreds of individuals
and major givers.
Phase II focuses on the human/animal bond by
expanding its humane education programs, reestablishing a
public low-cost veterinary care center (which the community
greatly misses), and an attractive and full-scale adoption
program and setting that will feature a real-life home
setting for adoptable pets, similar to a boutique hotel
concept. A community education center will offer programs
ranging from teacher training to juvenile intervention, as
well as provide space for summer camp and programs for the
special needs population. The Veterinary Care Center will
reestablish the LA/SPCA’s public, low-cost services
providing access to preventative care and treatment. Phase
II is expected to cost approximately $5 million.
Phase III, to cost an estimated $4 million, will
expand the breadth and depth of services to bring more
people to the campus as well as redefine the concept of
animal sheltering. The envisioned concept embraces a social
entrepreneurship spirit with the goal of contributing to the
sustainability of the community. The drawing board concept
currently includes a training facility for agility
competitions and animal sports, and a Doggie Day
Care/Boarding Facility to provide socialization for pets
while earning income for operations. Additionally, the
LA/SPCA also hopes to bring to life in Phase III a farmers
market, pet-friendly housing lots, and a pet walking path.
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