PICTURES: demolition works underway at major York animal home
Two million pounds is needed in the first phase of the home's reconstruction. Officials are now appealing for efforts to raise the £800,000 still needed to complete it (Image: York Animal Home)
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Search the Public Notice Portal Parts of a long-standing York animal welfare centre have been demolished, paving the way for its future redevelopment.
Construction is now underway on the £2 million project to rebuild the RSPCA York Animal Home.
The investment aims to transform facilities at the charity’s Landing Lane site, which serves York, Harrogate, and the wider region, but the home has warned that £800,000 is still urgently needed to complete the first phase.
Marie Sandall, animal welfare manager at the RSPCA York, Harrogate and District Branch, said: "It’s very sad not to have any cats here at York Animal Home at the moment, but we were able to find homes for all the cats in our care before the old cattery was demolished.
"While we rebuild, we’ll be sharing cats available for adoption through our Bridlington branch.
"With demand for cat spaces continuing to grow, it’s so important that we can bring these much-needed facilities back to York as soon as possible."
Construction has begun on the redevelopment of York Animal Home
(Image: York Animal Home)
The first phase of the redevelopment will deliver a modern cattery, dedicated puppy facilities, and a new community and training hub.
The charity has already secured £1.2 million towards its target for Phase One of the reconstruction, including a substantial contribution from Pets Foundation.
For nearly 50 years, the home has provided care for animals who have been abandoned, mistreated, or neglected, offering veterinary treatment, rehabilitation, and support before helping them find new homes.
However, the charity says its existing buildings are "increasingly struggling" to meet the needs of the animals in its care, with some accommodation already unusable and ageing facilities becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
The new cattery and specialist puppy facilities will provide purpose-built spaces designed around the welfare needs of the animals cared for by York Animal Home
(Image: York Animal Home)
Lucy Lowthian, capital campaign lead at RSPCA York Animal Home, said: "Seeing construction begin is an incredibly exciting moment for everyone involved in this project.
"After so much planning, fundraising and hard work, it's wonderful to see the vision for our new Animal Home starting to become a reality.
"But while this is a huge milestone, our work is far from over.
"We still need to raise £800,000 to complete Phase One, and that funding is absolutely vital if we are to deliver the new cattery, puppy facilities and community and training hub as planned."
She urged the public and local businesses to get involved, whether through donations, fundraising challenges, or corporate partnerships.
Lucy Lowthian
(Image: York Animal Home)
Lucy said: "We hope that seeing work begin will inspire even more people to get involved.
"Whether someone makes a donation, buys a virtual brick, takes on a fundraising challenge, encourages their workplace to support the appeal or talks to us about a corporate partnership, every contribution can make a real difference."
With Phase One targeted for completion by June 2027, the charity is appealing to the community to help raise the remaining funds.
Lucy said: "Construction starting is something we should all celebrate but we can't stop here.
"We still desperately need the support of our community to get Phase One over the line.
"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create facilities that will support vulnerable animals for years to come.
"Every donation, fundraiser, partnership and act of support brings us one step closer, and we appreciate all the support we receive."
To support the appeal, learn more about fundraising, buy a virtual brick, or explore corporate partnership opportunities, visit yorkanimalhome.com.