The City of Tallahassee's Animal Service Center has completed its first major renovation since 1996, wrapping up a year-long, $3.8 million project that began in Fall 2024, designed to improve conditions for animals and boost adoption rates.
“I think the biggest thing to remember is that this shelter was built in 1996, which was a long time ago,” Assistant Director Grayson Walters said.
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The renovations, which Walters calls "pup-grades," focus on three key areas that directly impact animal welfare and community engagement.
"One being our dog adoption area, which most of Tallahassee knows is kind of the front-facing place to show the dogs for adoption. Our vet suite, which is instrumental in providing care to the animals, giving them their spays and neuters and out of here faster, and then, also we added some “Sunshine Yards,” which just gives kind of a protected space for dogs that are in our care for a little bit longer," Walters said.
The improvements come as the center works to address ongoing capacity challenges.
In May 2025, I reported on how these upgrades could help fix overcrowding issues when the center took in 130 pets in just one week.
Currently, the center houses about 98 adoptable dogs and 10 adoptable cats. Walters says the renovations serve a dual purpose: improving animal comfort while creating a more welcoming environment for potential adopters.
"Of course, we want the animals to be comfortable, but we also want to make those connections faster. Having a more inviting atmosphere is also encouraging the public to come out, which we absolutely need," Walters said.
The shelter plans to showcase the new upgrades during its adoption event “Smooches with Pooches” on Feb. 14th from noon to 5 p.m.
The shelter will waive adoption fees and offer a gift basket raffle, Girl Scout cookies, and coffee.
For those not ready to adopt, Walters says the shelter continues seeking foster families to help with capacity management.
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