Over 13,000 people have donated money to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando (Facebook | Website) in the past two weeks, following a major fire at their Conroy Road shelter resulted in the tragic death of a number of shelter animals.

Those donations have almost reached the $1 million mark, breaking records for the local organization that usually needs half of a year to hit that number, according to Cathy Rogers, the Director of Philanthropy and Marketing.

The Pet Alliance has also received overwhelming amounts of physical donations including food, towels, and more, that they’ve been stockpiling in storage facilities nearby.

Prior to the fire, the Pet Alliance had already begun the process two years ago to secure funds for a new 20,000 SF facility on John Young Parkway, and that process has been expedited as a result of the fire and the loss of their Conroy location. Their ultimate fundraising goal for the new building is $14 million; $10 million for the building costs, $1 million for the property (which they had already purchased by the time of the fire), $3 million for fees surrounding the design and process leading up to construction, and $1 million for reserve funds for the operation of the new space.

You can click HERE for the organizations “Almost Home” capital campaign collateral if you or your business are interested in contributing. The Alliance hopes to be moved into their new home in the next two-and-a-half years.

The Pet Aliance is currently working with a realtor on their Board of Directors to identify a long-term temporary home for their Orlando services as soon as possible while the new facility is being built. They are hoping to find a roughly 5,000 SF space that is already zoned for animal boarding (mostly cats) and a landlord that understands their needs. Dogs will continue to be kept overnight at the Sanford shelter, as dogs require a bit more room to do their business outdoors.

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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