NASHUA, N.H. — Construction on the new 10,000-square-foot Humane Society for Greater Nashua building is nearing completion at the organization’s Ferry Road site. The facility includes new dog kennels, expanded training spaces and a veterinary care clinic with two surgical suites.
The new building is scheduled to be completed in mid-September, when renovations of the existing clinic facility are expected to begin. The Humane Society team will set up a temporary office in the training area of the new building until March 2027, when rehabilitation work on the 50-year-old clinic is slated to be finished.
Harvey Construction is the construction manager for the nearly $10 million project, which was designed by Warren Street Architects. Once completed, the project will roughly double the size of the society’s facilities and significantly expand its service offerings.
Building a new structure attached to an existing facility that had to remain in operation presented unique challenges.
“Keeping them open and keeping them safe was part of the logistics of the project,” said Harvey Construction project manager Mike Marios, who leads the work. “We restricted them to a very minimal amount of space and parking, and they've been getting through it. It's a two-way street and they've been phenomenal to work for.”
The renovation and expansion of the humane care center is a response to increased demand for services, a growing population and the high cost of pet health care. The clinic has faced a constant backlog for surgical services and often must postpone appointments because of high demand. With lower overhead in the new facility, staff expect to offer veterinary services to low- and moderate-income pet owners at 40% to 50% below market rates.
There is now room to house a larger population of animals, with special holding areas for quarantine and a small animal room with offices for adoption and surrendering. The kennels are designed to be easy to clean and to allow animals to be housed individually to reduce stress. Mechanical systems are designed to maintain air quality and minimize the spread of disease.
The building features a large behavioral training area that can be divided into large and small group spaces as needed. Staff plan to offer an expanded schedule of affordable training classes.
The new surgical suites will have viewing windows and discreet access.
“The shelter animals will have their own treatment room,” said Jennifer LeBlanc, director of partnerships and corporate gifts. “We'll be able to take them from the back hallway into their treatment room and not have them going throughout the rest of the clinic.”
“We're going to be able to watch the surgeries happening through the glass doors without getting in the way of the surgery to check on the animals,” she said. “Being able to observe procedures without compromising the animal’s safety is a wonderful feature.”
The expanded capacity in both space and programs is expected to serve:
- 2,500 owned pets in the affordable veterinary clinic
- 2,500 pet cats and dogs receiving vaccinations
- 1,800 family cats and dogs spayed or neutered through the affordable clinic
- 1,500 people who take behavioral classes with their dogs
Founded in 1900, the nonprofit has served the Nashua community for more than 125 years. The Humane Society for Greater Nashua offers animal surrender and adoption services, veterinary care, affordable spay and neuter surgeries, vaccine clinics, canine training classes, kids’ programs and burial and cremation services. The organization has a staff of 22 employees, a 16-member volunteer board and a team of dedicated volunteers.
