Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association reveals renderings for new facility

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association revealed renders for a new facility Saturday.

The renderings were unveiled by board member Ryan Tierney at the KCHA’s Tuxes and Tails event at Capitol Market. Tierney said the board along with KCHA team members have been working for months to identify a piece of property to open a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.

At this time, it’s unclear where the new facility would open.

Last month, a KCHA spokesperson told 13 News that they were actively looking for a new building and they had been doing so “quietly” for a while.

Sarah Tolley, Director of Community Engagement for the KCHA, said the U-Haul crash in late March 2024 “upped the ante and moved those plans a little bit faster than intended.”

She said they are helping more animals than ever, especially since they became a life-saving shelter eleven years ago, and the lack of space as well as being in a flood zone have made expanding almost impossible. Tolley said the recent crash showed different problems, like how cinderblocks on the upper floor of the building were too thin to support the entire structure for kennels.

Here are some of the things the shelter wants or needs in a new building, which they said they would have to build from scratch:

• New parking lot
• Better ramps
• Separate intake spaces, like sensory-friendly intake rooms for strays and neglect cases
• Separate entrance for those looking to adopt
• Separate building for a clinic
• Better dog park
• Better drainage system
• Built to resist diseases in animals with things like a new HVAC systems

The KCHA said they will begin a fundraising campaign this summer to fund the project.

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