The Animal Protective Association of Missouri has closed on the site of its next shelter in north St. Louis County and unveiled renderings of the facility.
APA North will be located at 11755 Benham Road and provide space for adoptions, veterinary services, community programs and pet-owner support services.
Construction will begin early next year, with Phase 1 projected to be completed in 2027. The APA estimates the completed facility will serve thousands of pets and their owners every year.
“Expanding services to North County has been a strategic goal for the APA since 2017, and we couldn’t be more excited about moving forward with this project,” said Sarah Javier, APA president and CEO, in a statement. “Our new campus represents a long-term investment in access, equity, and support for pet owners who have too often gone without nearby, affordable resources.”
The APA, which did not disclose how much it paid for the property, could not be reached immediately. St. Louis County real estate records show the 0.92-acre tract was appraised this year at $312,800.
The St. Louis County Council approved the rezoning for land for the shelter in July.
The APA had run the St. Louis County animal shelter from December 2022 to February 2025. The changeover caused anxiety among animal advocates because of the shelter’s past struggles under the county’s purview.
The start of the county’s new tenure was rocky — Dr. Kanika Cunningham, the county's health director, denied the existence of a proposal to control the animal shelter’s population with euthanasia only to admit seeing it later. Then the shelter lost its license to operate but regained that in June.
