ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Nearly five years after a fire killed 17 cats and destroyed its Orlando shelter, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is finally preparing to open its new home later this month.<\/p>\n
Pet Alliance announced Wednesday that it will cut the ribbon on the new shelter on John Young Parkway on Saturday, March 28. The grand opening celebration will include a party starting at noon with live entertainment, food trucks, activities and adoptable dogs and cats.<\/p>\n
An electrical issue caused the fire that destroyed the original shelter off Conroy Road in September of 2021. <\/p>\n
[WATCH: Pet Alliance begins construction on new animal shelter in Orange County (from 2024)]<\/p>\n
While Pet Alliance raised money and waited on construction, operations were split between the group\u2019s Sanford shelter and a temporary cat shelter in Downtown Orlando. <\/p>\n
The fire hampered the group\u2019s ability to rescue animals from the area\u2019s kill shelters.<\/p>\n
Officials told News 6 in 2024 that before the fire, they took in around 7,000 animals a year. Ever since the fire, they\u2019ve only taken in 4,000 to 5,000 a year.<\/p>\n
The 25,000-square-foot facility will have dedicated adoption spaces, including air-conditioned facilities for the dogs and cats, an outdoor play space, a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic strictly for shelter pets, and space to help other shelters during natural disasters.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Pet Alliance focuses on new roof years after fire destroyed Orlando shelter]<\/p>\n
Pet Alliance is still raising money for the shelter. It still needs $315,000 out of the $15 million raised to pay for the new facility. <\/p>\n
If you would like to help, visit the Pet Alliance Almost Home campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the work of rescuing cats and dogs in Central Florida continues.<\/p>\n