Cincinnati’s animal welfare scene is getting a significant upgrade. Hamilton County Commissioners have authorized a $10 million investment to purchase land for a new, state-of-the-art animal shelter for Cincinnati Animal CARE (CAC), Hamilton County’s only open-intake animal shelter.
The project also includes an additional $6.2 million for renovating Cincinnati Animal CARE’s existing overflow facility on Dane Avenue in Northside, positioning it as a secondary location once the new shelter is up and running.
The new facility is planned for an 80-acre site at the corner of Gray and Winton Roads in the Spring Grove neighborhood, just two miles from the current location in Northside. The facility promises to be a substantial upgrade from the cramped, outdated Colerain Avenue location, which sits on just three acres.
The current shelter, still owned by SPCA Cincinnati and leased to CAC, has struggled to meet the needs of its shelter population. A 2023 investigation by CityBeat found shelter employees were resorting to sharing office space with dogs due to a lack of available kennel space. CAC says the new site will allow the shelter to provide more humane, comfortable and efficient conditions for the animals.
“We are so thankful to the Hamilton County commissioners for prioritizing a new animal shelter in Hamilton County,” said Shelter Director Meaghan Colville. “The current facility at Colerain Avenue was built as ‘the pound’ in the mid-60s and was not designed for modern-day animal sheltering. Aside from countless facility issues due to age and neglect, it is simply not big enough or designed for what Hamilton County currently needs.”
The project also includes an additional $6.2 million for renovating Cincinnati Animal CARE’s existing overflow facility on Dane Avenue in Northside, positioning it as a secondary location once the new shelter is up and running.
The new facility is planned for an 80-acre site at the corner of Gray and Winton Roads in the Spring Grove neighborhood, just two miles from the current location in Northside. The facility promises to be a substantial upgrade from the cramped, outdated Colerain Avenue location, which sits on just three acres.
The current shelter, still owned by SPCA Cincinnati and leased to CAC, has struggled to meet the needs of its shelter population. A 2023 investigation by CityBeat found shelter employees were resorting to sharing office space with dogs due to a lack of available kennel space. CAC says the new site will allow the shelter to provide more humane, comfortable and efficient conditions for the animals.
“We are so thankful to the Hamilton County commissioners for prioritizing a new animal shelter in Hamilton County,” said Shelter Director Meaghan Colville. “The current facility at Colerain Avenue was built as ‘the pound’ in the mid-60s and was not designed for modern-day animal sheltering. Aside from countless facility issues due to age and neglect, it is simply not big enough or designed for what Hamilton County currently needs.”
The move comes after a series of challenges at both locations. In April 2023, the Dane Avenue facility was activated as an emergency overflow site following a canine distemper outbreak at the Colerain Avenue shelter. The upcoming four-phase renovation will prioritize upgrading the kennel systems, improving the environment for the dogs and creating a more efficient layout for staff and volunteers, according to the release.
How you can help
Renovation work at Dane Avenue is set to start in January 2025, but CAC says it will require the community’s help to foster or adopt animals currently housed there during renovations.
CAC says the new facility will take several years to complete, but they're hopeful construction can begin in 2025, running simultaneously with the updates at Dane Avenue.
How you can help
Renovation work at Dane Avenue is set to start in January 2025, but CAC says it will require the community’s help to foster or adopt animals currently housed there during renovations.
"Support and cooperation from the community will be vitally important to the timeline for the completion of the project," the release reads.
You can review CAC's adoptable animals here. Information about fostering can be found here.
