Our dream facility has become a reality with the opening of the Copeland Center for Animal Welfare. Located at 290 Churchmans Road in New Castle, Delaware, the center replaces our campus in Old New Castle with a larger, more comprehensive shelter and low-cost veterinary care facility.
The nearly 20,000 square foot facility sits on three acres. Originally the location of a veterinary specialty center, we nearly doubled that building’s footprint to create a full-service campus with a medical center, adoption center and community center.
“Our goal with this new facility was to meet the increasing needs for services in this community while creating a fun and inviting space for our adopters, clients, volunteers and staff,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “Visitors are welcomed through whimsically designed spaces to choose a dog or cat to join their family, to reunite with a lost pet, or to get affordable veterinary care for their family pet.”
The medical center includes the first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for shelter pets in the state of Delaware and one of the few in the tri-state area. Lamb continued, “We’re especially excited about the ICU so we can treat critically ill dogs and cats from all our locations more efficiently and cost-effectively.” The medical center also doubles our capacity to provide family pets with affordable annual preventive care and treatment for illnesses, and it doubles the capacity for spay/neuter and specialty surgeries.
Shelter animals benefit from larger, more comfortable housing. Every adoptable dog enjoys an indoor/outdoor kennel, and the six outdoor play yards give every dog a chance to join daily dog playgroups. Cat housing capacity has been doubled, and adoptable cats in the three free roaming cat rooms each have an outdoor catio.
A large community center and expansive outdoor areas allow us to expand our humane education, volunteering and service groups beyond what is possible at the current location. “Our mission is not just to be there for animals but to involve people in improving the lives of animals,” said Lamb. “For example, programs for kids like our summer day camp, birthday parties and junior volunteering help teach compassion and responsible animal care at an early age.”
The Copeland Center for Animal Welfare name honors Mrs. Tatiana Copeland. A long-time advocate for animals in need, Mrs. Copeland provided a generous lead gift to make this center possible. Since 2015, Mrs. Copeland has also supported the BVSPCA’s Reggie’s Fund, named after her beloved dog, to cover critical medical needs when families cannot afford that care for the pets they love.
We’re grateful to everyone who made this facility possible. We think of this not just as a BVSPCA campus, it’s your campus, a resource for our community. Hope to see you there soon!
All rights reserved. © 2024 Brandywine Valley SPCA.