KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The story begins in 1972, the year the original KCI was built.
At the same time, a construction shed went up just off Raytown Road.
That structure eventually became Kansas City's animal shelter.
As a new terminal breaks ground, the animals of Kansas City are also getting an upgrade.
The new KC Animal Care Campus will open by the end of the year, and 41 Action News got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the construction underway.
"We are actually standing in a house that was built by love, truly," Raise the Woof Campaign Co-Chair Roshann Parris said, referencing the campus.
The $26 million state-of-the-art facility totals 54,000 square feet, which is 40,000 square feet bigger than the current space.
"I would say close to all of it is built specifically for the animals, so that's very important to me at least," Chad Ackerman, a pre-construction manager with Grand Construction, said. Ackerman is also a KC Pet Project volunteer.
In the current shelter, dogs are housed in one room, which can be stressful for the animals. The new design features nine "districts," which will each house just 15 dogs. They can interact and meet potential adopters in both indoor and outdoor play areas.
Cats will also have their own designated space with "catios," where they can enjoy some fresh air.
"It's going to be so much more than just an animal shelter," KC Pet Project's Tori Fugate said.
The facility will incorporate an education center, a veterinary clinic and walking trails.
"There's going to be a large retail space," Fugate said. "We're even going to have a coffee shop here, so it's going to be a tremendous facility."
It's still slated to open by the end of the year, despite some doggone cold weather this winter.
"The guys out here have been absolutely fantastic," Ackerman said. "Their hearts are in this project, and they're doing all they can to keep it moving regardless of weather."
The campus will be funded through $18 million in voter-approved GO bonds, as well as donations from the private sector.
Cash and pro-bono service commitments from the community are estimated at $15 million.
"We can honestly say that nobody has said no to the opportunity to invest, so it's been extraordinary," Parris said.
However, the public capital campaign is ongoing, as Parris says steel tariffs and other construction factors drove up the overall cost of the project.
The Petco Foundation is matching Raise the Woof donations up to $500,000 through May 31.
"We hope that it will change the game for both the two-legged and four-legged citizens of Kansas City and really bring our city up to speed as we build the first truly designated animal shelter in Kansas City," Parris said. "It's time."
