East Bay animal shelter to open new state-of-the-art clinic made of shipping containers

An East Bay animal rescue is taking an innovative approach to help solve the pet overpopulation crisis.

Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter is sharing its plan to open a new, state-of-the-art spay and neuter clinic.

But what makes this plan unique, is what its building will be made out of: shipping containers.

"We were originally going to build a brick and mortar medical center," said John Lipp, CEO of Friends of Alameda Animal Shelter. "The price tag was close to $10 million, and we were looking at fundraising and that's a lot of money to raise, and so we thought, what can we do to open something a lot faster? Because we're in crisis mode right now."

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To cut down on cost and speed up construction, Lipp says the organizations will now be using eight recycled shipping containers.

"We are totally recycling. It's the greenest project ever," he said.

It cut the price tag down from $10 million to just $2 million.

"We're going to use solar power panels at the top, which we're really excited about. Fully air-conditioned and powered. It's going to be a complete surgery suite, with two operating tables, X-ray suite. It's all going to be there," Lipp said. "Exam rooms, a full-on clinic."

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Lipp says this comes at a critical time for shelters statewide, which are running low on space.

In Alameda, they're about 97% full as of Wednesday.

"I call it the pandemic hangover. There was no access to services and because of that and a shortage of veterinarians, 'crisis' is probably a good word right now," Lipp said. "When we open, we're hoping to do 9,000 surgeries a year. We already have a waiting list of clients."

The clinic is expected to open on Alameda's Bay Farm Island off of North Loop Road by December.