Ames Awards Contract for New Animal Shelter
The city is building a larger facility at 2715 Dayton Avenue to improve animal health services and increase local capacity.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Pet Health
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Ames City Council has awarded a $5.99 million construction contract for a new animal shelter at 2715 Dayton Avenue. The project, which covers nearly six acres, addresses capacity issues at the existing facility on Billy Sunday Road.
Why it matters
The current shelter lacks the space required to properly isolate animals for disease control. This new 10,880-square-foot facility will provide the square footage necessary to manage pet populations more safely.
The city purchased the six-acre Dayton Avenue property for $1.1 million, with project bids for renovation ranging from $5.5 million to $6.6 million. The final contract of $5.99 million was awarded to HPC to address the project budget after accounting for private donation interest.
The players
Ames City Council
The local governing body responsible for municipal resource allocation and oversight of the city's animal services infrastructure.
HPC
The construction firm contracted to renovate the new municipal animal shelter facility.
The details
The project will repurpose the site at 2715 Dayton Avenue into a modern facility, featuring a 10,880-square-foot main building and a 2,000-square-foot basement. The expansion is critical to alleviating the strain at the current 325 Billy Sunday Road location, which has reached maximum capacity and currently lacks dedicated quarantine space for disease management.
Timeline
October 2026: The Ames City Council officially awarded the construction contract.
2027: The city projects the new facility will open to the public.
The Home Front
The new construction follows industry standards for animal sheltering, which prioritize specific square-footage ratios to prevent the spread of illness. The project marks a significant move to replace older municipal infrastructure that no longer meets modern health capacity requirements.
Local pet owners should monitor updates on the facility opening in 2027 to understand future adoption and surrender services. Residents currently supporting the shelter can check official city updates for opportunities to assist with the transition from the Billy Sunday Road location.
The takeaway
The new facility aims to resolve long-standing space limitations that impact animal health outcomes in the city. Keep an eye on local municipal meeting agendas for future updates regarding the 2027 opening timeline.
Further reading
For more on how local animal services support pet welfare, see Pet Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by USA TODAY.
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