Yvonne Chauvel, who has been with the Animal Shelter for 30 years, was invited by general manager Steve Byrne to lay the first brick on the foundations at a ceremony which saw people who have supported the GSPCA's Big Build come together to see the progress that has been made.
‘I find it very emotional,’ she said.
‘Having worked in both units it is amazing to see this build and how it will be dedicated to wildlife.
‘It is unreal seeing how it is now, to what it was before.’
For the first time the wildlife and domestic animals will have their own areas in different parts of the St Andrew’s site.
‘It’s a momentous occasion for us at the shelter,’ said Mr Byrne.
‘Hopefully this can give us what we need for years to come.’
The Wildlife Hospital will allow the GSPCA to support more animals. It currently sees more than 3,000 wild animals every year.
‘You never know what is going to come in, hedgehogs, seals or birds,’ said Mr Byrne.
The aviaries in the new build will have pools so they can house seals if needed, and there will be space specifically for oiled birds.
Mr Byrne thanked people who had supported the build, and DLM Architects and Breton, who are working on the build.
‘There are a team of people in front of and behind the scenes who this would not be happening without,’ he said.
As well as the Wildlife Hospital there will be a new ferret building and kennels.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.