Photo courtesy Chesterfield County
A new animal shelter in Chesterfield County on track to be completed in the fall of 2026 will help more animals in Central Virginia find their forever homes.
In May, the county broke ground on the 30,990-square-foot structure, which is three times larger than the existing building (built in 1975) that it is replacing. In addition to a full veterinary and surgical center, the $17.8 million shelter at 9531 Government Center Parkway will boast 134 dog runs.
While that’s nine fewer than the current building has, they won’t be double-stacked, meaning more big dogs can be accommodated. The number of cat cages will more than double from 55 to 120, and an exotics room will house reptiles, rabbits and more.
“We [will] utilize things like natural lighting, high ceilings, very animal-friendly housing structures; it’s going to be much brighter [and] colorful,” says Lt. Carrie Jones, animal services manager for the Chesterfield County Police Department.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelter has seen a significant increase in its animal populations, according to the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget, which sets money aside to hire more kennel masters. Virginia’s animal rescues and shelters saw 105,676 cats and dogs adopted in 2023, according to a 2025 commending resolution by the General Assembly.
“When we designed this facility, we really kept the comfort of the animals in mind. So, if we needed to cut space somewhere, it’s the office areas” that were downsized, Jones says. “My main focus was to make sure that the animals are comfortable. We get to go home at the end of the day; they don’t.”
