When supporters of the Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter have needed assistance, the community has always been quick to respond.
Several years ago when the organization shared its vision of a new facility to replace one that was never really build to be an animal shelter, the community again responded and the ribbon was cut on Sunday, June 7, 2026, officially opening the new modern facility on the Smith Road in Upper Nappan.
“It’s a tremendous feeling to see how the community rallied together the way it did to give us the support we needed to get this facility built,” capital committee co-chair Mark Casey said following the ceremony that included tours of the shelter. “This shelter really is the community’s building. It provides a service to people across Cumberland County.”
The $1.3-million capital campaign included a significant commitment of $150,000 from the Municipality of Cumberland as well as a similar contribution from the Town of Amherst and the support of hundreds of individuals, organizations and businesses throughout the county.
Casey said he is most impressed at how quickly the community responded to the ask.
“I never thought it was going to happen this quickly,” he said. “We really didn’t want to start this building until the money was raised. We’re so fortunate that we were able to raise the money to build the new building before the older one fell apart.”
The organization has been providing service since 1987 and moved from Springhill to Upper Nappan in the early 1990s. The previous building was really beginning to show its age over the last decade.
“This is fantastic, it’s so needed in the community,” Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy said. “It’s so heartwarming to see all the members of the community, donors and sponsors to come together to raise the money to build and open such a state-of-the-art facility.”
The mayor said it wasn’t a difficult decision for the municipality to make when first approached by the shelter’s fundraising team.
“This organization plays such an important role in the community. I don’t want to think about what we’d do if they weren’t here,” Gilroy said.
For nearly four decades the Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter has provided compassionate care and second chances to thousands of dogs and cats across Cumberland County. Founded by local animal advocates and sustained through community support, the shelter has grown from a small volunteer effort into one of the region's most respected animal welfare organizations.
Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy (left) and Amherst Mayor Robert Small look on as Linda Diczhu cuts the ribbon to officially open the new home of the L.A. Animal Shelter on the Smith Road in Upper Nappan. Darrell Cole – Municipality of Cumberland