AnimalKind to construct new facility on State Route 23

HUDSON―After twenty-six years on Warren Street in Hudson, AnimalKind has unveiled plans to relocate to a new facility on Route 23.

Founded in 2000 by Katrin Hecker in Hudson, the nonprofit animal welfare organization provides rescue, medical care, adoption services, spay/neuter clinics, and foster programs with the mission of ending feline overpopulation and homelessness.

“We’re now at the point where we serve more than five thousand animals a year,” explained Executive Director Nicki Armsby.

In 2025, AnimalKind purchased the two-acre parcel at 4401 Route 23, located across the state highway from Columbia-Greene Community College.

“We are deeply proud of what we’ve built in our current home, but it’s time to take the next step. We are committed to ensuring that our new facility continues to reflect the values that have always guided us: service to neighbors, connection to community, and a deep respect for the human-animal bond,” Armsby said.

The new planned space will be one-story, with a third of the space dedicated for a medical clinic, and the rest for sheltering, a pet food pantry, adoption center, and office space.

“Everyone we speak with is excited in so many ways about the new shelter,” said AnimalKind Board Member Karen Aluise.

“From simply having the ability to park their car in a lot for adoptions, to making clinic visits and donations drop-offs easier without having to look for quarters or figure out what zone they are in,” Aluise said.

“The expanded suite of veterinary services means we won’t have to turn clients away, and an expanded community food pantry provides a healthier environment for animals and humans,” she added.

To fund construction and outfitting of the new facility, AnimalKind has launched the Building A Kinder Future capital campaign. Thanks to generous donors and foundations, they have already raised 40% of their target $6 million goal.

Animal welfare donors from throughout the region and New York City have contributed to make the new home a reality, the organization noted.

“Cat rescue organizations from New York City to Glens Falls turn to us when they have animals they need to re-home,” said Armsby, noting that the need has increased since the pandemic.

“We plan to take approximately 200 cats from New York City this year. In addition to individuals, smaller rescues rely on AnimalKind to help with low-cost medical services. With our new space, we’ll be able to provide spay and neuter service for less than a third of what private veterinary practices charge,” she added.

The organization has already received donated x-ray and analytical equipment to outfit the surgery rooms and are building the space with an eye toward affordable pet care.

“People shouldn’t have to choose between caring for their pets and paying the electric bill, or paying for their food,” Armsby said. “We’re getting creative about getting more vets to do shift and per diem work and reducing costs in our build. If we can bridge a gap there and support the community, everybody wins.”

Armsby estimates the new space could allow AnimalKind to increase their low-cost veterinary services four-fold.

And the future facility will allow AnimalKind to strengthen its ability to respond to crises with consistent access to emergency boarding services―another need that the organization says has been growing steadily over the years.

Changes in New York State animal sheltering laws are also driving the move, AnimalKind noted. Effective December 15, 2025, the new regulations establish mandatory licensing, enforceable care standards, and regular inspections for both municipal and not-for-profit shelters that house cats and dogs.

“We started as a grassroots cat rescue organization, and we absolutely will keep that mentality,” Armsby explained. “But our current home was never designed to meet the scale and complexity of our work today. To continue delivering high-quality care and help more animals and people, we must invest in a purpose-built facility designed for today’s best practices in veterinary care, sheltering and public health.”

With the new sheltering requirements, there is a concern that smaller organizations will be forced to close, putting even more on groups like AnimalKind, the organization stated.

“We have designed the project to reflect the needs of the communities that we serve. AnimalKind has always stepped in to fill the existing gaps in animal care, and this new facility will enable us to expand those much-needed services significantly, efficiently and economically,” Aluise said.

And while AnimalKind staff and volunteers will miss their charming, four-story Victorian home and downtown neighborhood, they are excited about the move. They expect to relocate in late spring of 2027.

“We treasure the neighbors who stop in, the curious sidewalk visitors who peer through our big windows at cats sunbathing in the afternoon light, and the volunteers who drop in to socialize with kittens,” Armsby said.

“AnimalKind is such an important part of the Hudson community, and we’re absolutely going to continue that. We’re looking forward to better serving cats and their human companions in our new space, helping cats find their forever homes,” she said.

More information about the Building A Kinder Future capital campaign can be found at www.akcapcamp.com.