New Lawton Animal Shelter Breaks Ground March 6

Since 2024, the city of Lawton has been working with GH2 Architecture to improve the Lawton Animal Welfare facility.

The original idea was to "augment the existing shelter at 2104 SW 6th Street" and "improve current animal spaces, administrative offices, and storage utility areas."

In December of 2024, things changed, and the city of Lawton approved new plans to relocate Lawton Animal Welfare to a new site. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Friday, March 6, at 3:30 p.m. at the new site.

What Will The New Lawton Animal Welfare Look Like?

The design for the new Lawton Animal Welfare facility looks incredibly innovative and modern, compared to the current setup. The entire 13,442 square feet of the new building will include enough space to care for up to 356 animals at once.

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Ideally, there will be spaces for 148 dogs, 168 cats, 8 exotic animals, and still have 32 clinical spaces. Instead of a chaotic look, the new design is made to be more comforting for both potential adopters and the animals.

The improved linear look seems to use as much space as possible, while still giving animals more room than they have at the facility now.

It also improves the professional look both on the outside and inside of the building. The front desk area will have a sleek, new design that leads people to the kennels, instead of the blocky look we have now.

There are an incredible number of improvements, including expanded medical capabilities and even new surgery rooms. You can see project photos here.

Where Will The New Lawton Animal Welfare Be Located?

The groundbreaking ceremony will be at 1701 SW Lee Boulevard. The building that sits there currently was once used as a fire station. Luckily, the project will cost less at the new location since "structural modifications required for the fire station are less extensive than those needed at the current facility."

The new location will likely draw more attention for animals, since it is closer to a busier part of town. And, the new building design allows drivers and visitors to see the animals up for adoption better.

Everyone is welcome to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday. There, they will likely break down how long this project is going to take and what drivers in the area should expect once the renovations start.