Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton held a groundbreaking for its new animal shelter on Thursday, as the nonprofit has raised $5.2 million of the $6.3 million it seeks in order to open the new space.
The shelter, to be located at 66 Fruit St., will be built on a five-acre parcel owned by the Town of Hopkinton. The 8,200-square-foot modern shelter is much larger than the 2,480-square-foot space Baypath has been operating from at 500 Legacy Farms North since the 1980s.
The new space will help Baypath deal with a surge of animals needing new homes, amid a rise of surrenders linked to tough economic times. The new facility is expected to be completed in the spring and will include space for on-site medical care and educational training areas.
“To be here and actually be breaking ground, is emotional and impactful,” Alyson Cox, board member at Baypath Humane, said. “The dream is coming true, and in a year, we’ll have a more modern, larger facility, and we’ll be able to support many more animals.”
Construction efforts are being led by RP Masiello, a construction firm based in Boylston.
Among the attendees at Thursday’s groundbreaking was Pigeon, an 11-year-old deaf dog. Cox said the dog was once a very difficult rescue, but Pigeon’s progress was evident in her calm demeanor at the event.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
