SPCA Opens $14M Complex

RICHMOND, VA-The Richmond Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals breaks new ground with the debut of the 64,000-sf Robins-Starr Humane Center, the animal rights organization’s first state-of-the-art facility that includes amenities from canine living rooms to an animal hospital. Located at 2519 Hermitage Road, the new $14-million locale replaces the local chapter’s previous headquarters at 1600 Chamberlayne Avenue.The center is designed to be a model for future SPCA centers, which specialize in humane care and education. “One of the very first things our visitors will notice is how the center defies people’s preconceptions of an animal shelter environment,” Richmond SPCA CEO Robin Robertson Starr explains of the property’s amenities. “We want the community to use the Humane Center not only as a place to adopt animals but as a place to have fun, get exercise, take classes and spend time with animals, even if they aren’t able to adopt.” Other features of the building include a library, auditorium, space for obedience training, and meeting rooms.