Humane Society for Greater Nashua looks to residents to complete funding for $8M expansion

Douglas Barry, president and CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Nashua, recently announced that the organization will be expanding during the next several months. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON
NASHUA — With $6.8 million already in hand, the Humane Society for Greater Nashua is appealing to the city’s residents for assistance in raising the remaining $1.2 million needed to expand its facility on Ferry Road.
“This expansion will profoundly impact how we care for animals and provide vital services to our community,” said President and CEO Douglas Barry. “We’re calling on our friends and neighbors in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts to help us cross the finish line. We need your support to make this dream a reality.”
The plan is to construct a 10,000-square-foot Humane Care Center next to the existing building, which will undergo its own renovations. The new center will allow for 2,500 pets to be seen for medical care, 1,500 pets to receive annual vaccinations, 2,500 dogs to participate in obedience classes as well as 1,800 spay and neuter surgeries. There will also be 20 new dog kennels equipped with specialized air filtration systems. The kennels can be sectioned off in groups of five in the event of a quarantine.
“Once this is built, we’ll have the largest humane society in New Hampshire,” said Barry, adding that he expects the project to begin in June and be completed within 16 months. “More animals are crying for help than ever before.”
Online donations can be made at https://www.hsfn.org/building-expansion/.
Barry also said that for several years, the humane society could not offer affordable medical services as it was not under the ownership of a veterinarian. According to the APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 72 percent of respondents said they cannot afford veterinary care.
“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to turn people away,” said Barry.
However, a series of legislative changes were passed in 2022 which allowed the humane society to offer affordable medical services without being owned by a veterinarian.
A Safety Net program is now in place to provide financial assistance.