The Kentucky Humane Society announced plans Oct. 15 for a new Animal and Community Campus that will expand space and services for animals in the commonwealth.

Kentucky Humane Society President and CEO Alisa Gray said the $37 million project, to be built in the 4900 block of Preston Highway, has been in the works since 2021. The organization has raised $21.4 million so far, she said, and is seeking $5 million in additional funding from the Kentucky legislature for the project.

Gray hopes to raise the remaining $10.6 million needed through the organization’s “ALL IN” campaign that launched Oct. 15.

Gray said the organization plans to break ground on the new campus in November 2025 and the project is estimated to take around 16-18 months to complete.

The new center, which will include 54,000 square feet of indoor space and 7,000 square feet of a covered outdoor area, will expand dog and cat housing by 30%. Gray said the organization also aims to increase spay and neuter surgeries they’re able to provide annually.

The new campus will also bring back the previously-closed Healthy Pets Clinic that provided low-cost, preventable veterinary care to the community.

“There’s a dire need for that. That’s probably one of the greatest needs for animals now, in our state and nationally,” Gray said. “Access to care is very difficult, cost of care for animals is extremely high, probably higher than it’s ever been.”

While the new campus will be in Louisville, Gray said Kentucky Humane Society serves 96 counties throughout Kentucky. The new brick and mortar for a permanent clinic in Louisville will mean the organization will be able to use its CARE-a-van mobile clinic to better serve the wider Kentucky community.

“We try to prioritize underserved areas and our rural Kentucky partners that don’t have access to care, so we’ll be able to serve them more often,” Gray said.