ORLANDO, Fla. — The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is one step closer to a new facility after a fire destroyed their shelter in September 2021.

The Pet Alliance opened a new cat shelter in downtown Orlando a year later, with their dogs being housed in the Seminole County shelter. They have been temporarily working out of that shelter since then.

Executive Director Steve Bardy said it’s been a long process since the tragedy.

“It’s kind of indelibly imprinted into your memory," Bardy said. "There are certain things, honestly, when I hear a firetruck go down the street, it always kind of startles me a little bit.”

Firefighters rescued 71 cats and dogs. However, smoke inhalation from the fire killed 17 cats.

“We got to a point where we were like, what else is the world going to throw at us?” Bardy said. 

Two years later, Bardy said they are focused on the future, reviewing blueprints for their new permanent shelter now that they are in the final stages of permitting.

 “I am most excited about this space. This is all our shelter veterinary medical suite. This is all isolation,” said Bardy as he pointed to the blueprints.

That space will allow them to save even more dogs and cats. 

“Any kind of kennel cough, anything that is contagious will be kind of isolated, and that will allow us to work with a shelter that maybe wants to euthanize a dog or a cat due to medical reasons," Bardy said. "We can bring it in. We will have the medical space to treat it. We will have the medical recovery space, and we will then be able to adopt it out.”

Bardy said they’ll also be able to offer more help after natural disasters and take in more pets from other states and territories. 

“That really helps all animals,” he said.

Bardy said they always intended to build this shelter and purchased the land years ago, but the fire made the project more urgent. Now, when he visits the site on South John Young Parkway, he’s hit with all kinds of emotions. 

“You know, it is a little bit of relief, a little bit of stress, a little bit of anxiety, a little bit of excitement,” Bardy said. 

He’s hopeful they’ll be able to break ground in late January.

“It’s a long time coming, and on the heels of such a tragedy, it makes it all the more special,” Bardy said. 

After construction, he said he's hopeful they’ll be able to begin adoptions in June 2025. 

“It will kind of close that chapter and allow us to truly move forward in animal welfare,” Bardy said. “So it is exciting!”

Once they move into their permanent home, Bardy said they’ll likely convert the downtown cat shelter into an affordable clinic.