The new Animal Care and Control shelter on Helbush Drive. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

LAKEPORT – Lake County Animal Care and Control will hold a grand opening celebration this week for its new shelter.

The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 26, at the new shelter, located at 4949 Helbush Drive, across from the Lake County Jail.

The new, 7,800-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility was opened to the public April 28, as Lake County News has reported. Construction on the $2 million project began in April of 2007.

When staff moved to the new facility in April, they left behind the cramped, 1940s-era facility located behind the Lake County Agriculture Department on Lakeport Boulevard.

The shelter, in its current phase, has roughly the same number of kennels as the old – 34 kennels for dogs, 38 kennels for cats and 24 kennels for feral cats, plus 16 dog isolation kennels.

Another planned construction phase will double that capacity and add a clinic for treating animals on site. A barn and livestock pens also will be added, officials reported.

Animal Care and Control invites the community to attend the grand opening and visit the new facility this Thursday. Refreshments will be served.

For more information call Animal Care and Control, 263-0278.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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