Central Texas SPCA breaks ground on new facility

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After over twenty years of planning, a new nonprofit animal shelter is coming to Leander. The Central Texas SPCA broke ground on its new facility Friday.

"Today is the culmination of a long-standing dream come true," said Jeanette Cacciola, director of CTSPCA. "We decided back in 2001 that the buildings we had donated were not going to last for very long."

Currently, CTSPCA operates out of three manufactured homes combined into one structure. The buildings are now almost thirty years old, suffering electrical and plumbing issues, structural concerns and even termites over the years.

The 4,000-square-foot facility will feature more comfortable environments for the animal residents and improved treatment areas, according to a release from the organization. Instead of building in an entirely new location, the new facility will be located on the same two-acre property as the current shelter on Bagdad Road in Leander.

During construction, outdoor space for the dogs will be slightly restricted, but CTSPCA will try to keep everything functioning as normally as possible, Cacciola said. They hope to have the new facility up and running in a little over a year.

"We have a good plan for having the construction area be a safe site for the workers and our volunteers, but also keeping the animals as stress-free and with life as normal for them as we can make it," Cacciola said.

Since the CTSPCA launched its official fundraising campaign in 2022, the organization has raised just over $1.5 million of its $2.3 million goal.