GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR ANIMAL HEALTH BUILDING

Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Jr., invites the public to a groundbreaking ceremony for the Salisbury Zoological Park Animal Health Building, on Monday, March 28, 2011. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be held next to the Salisbury Zoological Administrative Building behind Ben’s Red Swings.

The project includes the construction of a new Animal Health Clinic. This health clinic will enable the Salisbury Zoological Park to have a facility that will house and treat our current and future animal collection. It will also enable us to further the Zoo’s involvement in conservation breeding programs. This project will include geothermal heating and air for efficiency, necropsy room, surgery room, multiple animal holding areas and quarantine space. A secondary use of the new Clinic will be for emergency housing during inclement weather.

“The construction of this building is very important to the future of the Salisbury Zoological Park. As we move towards the implementation of our Master Plan (completed in 2006), AZA accreditation is very critical to our success. Phase One of that Master Plan includes the Animal Health Clinic. The ability to provide consistent, modern medical care to our animal collection is very important,” said Zoo Director, Joel Hamilton.

“This project, funded by a City of Salisbury Public Improvement Bond of 2009, a Maryland Historic Grant, a State Bond Bill, and private donations to the Renew the Zoo capital campaign and managed by the Delmarva Zoological Society is an example of the community and all levels of government working together for the good of the zoo, and ultimately, for the good of Salisbury,” said Mayor Ireton.

This project will begin construction this month (March 2011) and is expected to be completed by March 2012.