Homeward Bound: Humane Fort Wayne is doubling its shelter space and adding services

FORT WAYNE, Indiana (WANE) – Humane Fort Wayne announced Thursday that a new animal shelter will be coming to Fort Wayne that will house twice as many cats and dogs.

The organization is combining its housing and clinical services into a new facility at 901 Leesburg Road. The opening is planned for 2024.

“A more centrally located shelter will allow for more visitors and save more lives,” Humane told Fort Wayne.

According to the press release, the 5-acre property will have three times the space of the current Hanna Street shelter and will house twice as many cats and dogs. Plans for the expansion also include a neuter and spa services clinic, indoor dog training rooms, and educational and volunteer centers.

The current shelter on the southeast side of Fort Wayne is slated to become the headquarters for Humane Fort Wayne’s service and pet care programs, which will result in a standalone pet social services agency – the first of its kind in Indiana.

“Over the past decade, we have worked hard to create innovative programs and services to best meet the needs of both homeless animals and animals that already have homes,” said Jessica Henry-Johnson, executive director. “I know this community will invest in us as we look to the bright future of even better animal welfare in Northeast Indiana.”

The organization is asking for help from the public to raise the final $1.5 million needed to fund construction of the new facility, with plans to break ground this spring.

The new facility is named in memory of Sharon Bodenhafer, who Humane Fort Wayne described as “an animal lover exceptional.”