By Emma Grace Beard
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The Fayetteville City Council approved a $690,000 property purchase Oct. 6 for a new animal services center planned for East 15th Street, across from Walker Park.
The project will replace the city’s existing animal shelter on Armstrong Road. Discussions about a new facility began about two years ago after a city needs assessment identified areas where the department needed additional space and updated resources.
Justine Lentz, Fayetteville’s animal services superintendent, said the current shelter has reached a point where replacing the facility is necessary.
“Our current building, parts of it, are up to 50 years old, and it has served us really well for a really long time, but it is reaching the end of its life,” Lentz said.
The new center is designed to address several needs within the department, including animal housing, medical care and disease prevention. Plans call for updated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, improved drainage and new kennel systems.
The facility will also include expanded medical and isolation areas, giving staff additional space to treat animals, monitor their recovery and separate those that may need specialized care. These spaces are intended to support individual treatment needs while helping reduce the risk of illness spreading among animals in the shelter.
According to the City of Fayetteville, the planned building will have approximately 22,000 square feet of indoor space and 30,000 square feet of outdoor areas.
Lentz said the project also gives the department an opportunity to incorporate changes in animal shelter design and operations.
“It’s just a vastly different world for building animal shelters than it was decades ago, so we’re really excited to get the opportunity to kind of bring ourselves into the future,” Lentz said.
The plans extend beyond animal housing and treatment. A community education space will provide room for workshops and events focused on animal welfare, behavior and preventative care. The design also includes a central garden, covered play areas and meet-and-greet spaces for prospective adopters to spend time with animals.
These spaces are intended to make the adoption process more interactive while giving residents additional ways to learn about animal care and get involved with the department.
The location will offer another practical benefit for staff and volunteers. With Walker Park directly across the street, people taking dogs out for walks will have convenient access to the park’s trails.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $18 million. Funding comes from bonds approved by Fayetteville voters in March 2026.
The city is currently working through property acquisition. Its next planned step is selecting an architecture and engineering team in early 2027 to begin designing the facility. The existing shelter will continue operating while the project moves forward.