Construction To Start In June On New Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter

BRANFORD, CT — The goal was $1 million. With donations now at $1.2 million and climbing, the dream for a new animal shelter building has been realized. Construction on the new Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter will begin next month. The project will involve doubling the size of the building and completely renovating the existing space.

In preparation, the shelter will be relocating until the new building project is completed. Beginning Monday, the shelter is moving from the East Main Street location and staff will not have access to phones and computers. So folks in Branford with an animal emergency should call Branford police at 203-481-4241 and police will dispatch animal control staff. For folks in North Branford with an animal emergency, call North Branford police at 203- 484-2703 and they too will dispatch an officer.

Then, on June 2, the shelter will reopen at its temporary location, 11 Cherry Hill Road, until the construction is complete.

The new shelter will have expanded cat space, pet adoption visiting rooms, upgraded kennels, and more quarantine space. It will also feature separate ventilation to prevent the spread of infection, a medical visiting room, a pregnant cat room, separate offices for animal control activities and a separate entrance for stray and roaming animals.

And as the shelter is also a community-funded facility, there will also be a community room, space for our many volunteers, adoption visiting rooms and a “generous, adoption-friendly lobby for people.”

Outside the building, the renovated site will include expanded play areas, a barn, walking trails, a pet splash pad, more parking, and a safer driveway.

Shelter director Laura Burban told Patch that as a “small municipal shelter,” one that might not get a lot of attention, it actually has.

“It’s because people care so much and have been so supportive,” she said.

There are myriad ways to still donate to the shelter. Learn more here.

Here are a few of our favorite Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter stories. Tell us your favorite stories from the shelter in the comments!

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