New Humane Society building in West Tampa designed for people and pets

A trip to the Humane Society can be cause for joy or mourning — a time when families welcome a new member or have to surrender a long-loved pet. For the pets living on-site, the Humane Society offers a shelter, hopefully temporary, where they await a new life.

To better cater to these various needs, the Humane Society Tampa is set to be rebuilt with three stories, separated into areas geared towards adoption or intake. The building will feature a central plaza, an elevated play area, and updated technology to ensure comfort for humans and animals alike.

“The current shelter is a hodgepodge of additions, portables, shanty shacks, and homemade enclosures,” says Jonathan Moore, president of InVision Advisors, who is serving as owners representation on the project. “God bless them for what they’re able to do with the animals. It’s a maze in there. The air-conditioning isn’t good. There’s lots of exterior spaces that the animals are just too hot in. They’ve got fans blowing so it’s clear they need a new building.”

Rather than tear down and rebuild in one fell swoop, construction on the new Humane Society will be done in stages, beginning with a new building built on the outdoor area, where the dogs currently play. 

In this way, construction will have “minimal impact on the existing shelter, so they can stay in operation,” Moore says. Once the new building is finished, the current building will be torn down to make room for the parking lot.

Elevated play yards, dog runs, and exterior spaces will be located on the second floor, sloping down toward the Hillsborough River. The intake wing will include new medical technology, a surgery suite, and an isolation space for animals with contagious diseases.

The new building was designed by Tampa-based architects Thomas Lamb and Kevin Hart. Building construction costs are estimated at $11 million. Moore credits the architects with bringing unique ideas to the development, designed to attract potential adopters while giving the animals a more comfortable stay. One of the ideas Lamb proposed would see a daily “running of puppies,” when the pups are let loose to play with visitors around the central plaza.

Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year and finish one year later in 2019.