Our New Facility
A New Home for Animals Who Need Us Most
Pet Pantry of Lancaster County is in the final stretch of a major expansion. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Dena and Sam Lombardo and their lead gift, we have raised more than $1,000,000 to expand our life-saving services. The facility is open and beginning limited operations. But to reach its full potential and quadruple the number of animals we can serve, we need to raise a final $565,000. We are in the home stretch. And animals are counting on us to finish.
What We're Building
Three Floors. One Mission.
The Dena M. & Samuel N. Lombardo Animal Rescue and Surgical Center is structured across three levels, each purpose-built to serve animals and the people who care for them.
The Dog Adoption Center – Lower Floor
Right now, zoning at our Millersville Pike location prohibits us from housing dogs overnight. Dogs have to be placed in a foster home the same day they arrive, regardless of whether the right family is ready. Countless dogs are waiting for a loving home.
The lower floor of our new facility changes that entirely. Low-stress kennels with opaque walls give dogs a calm, safe place to rest on their journey toward adoption. A veterinary exam room and two quarantine kennels protect rescue animals from illness. This new adoption center will greatly increase the number of dogs we can rescue.
The Cat Surgery Center – Main Floor
Pet Pantry has been performing Trap–Neuter–Vaccinate–Return (TNVR) surgeries for feral community cats since 2013. It is the only proven, humane method to stabilize feral cat populations. But demand has long outpaced our capacity. The main floor surgical suite allows us to advance life-saving care for Lancaster’s most vulnerable cats as well as owned cats in our community.
Veterinary Student Housing – Upper Floor
Lancaster County, and the country, faces a growing veterinarian shortage. The upper floor of the Lombardo Center provides on-site lodging for veterinary students completing their required hands-on training, supervised by Pet Pantry’s experienced team of veterinarians.
This isn’t just a place to sleep. It’s an investment in the professionals who will care for animals
for decades to come.
Led by A Landmark Gift
The Dena M. & Samuel N. Lombardo Animal Rescue & Surgical Center bears their names for a reason. Dena and Sam Lombardo are local philanthropists, longtime supporters, and devoted animal lovers. They made the lead gift that made this building possible. Their belief in Pet Pantry’s mission set this campaign in motion, and their names will be part of every life saved within these walls.
We are deeply grateful to Dena and Sam for their vision, their generosity, and their friendship to the animals of Lancaster County.
Tribute Plaques
The lobby in our Dog Adoption Center will be home to our permanent Tribute Wall. Our community can pay tribute to the animals we’ve loved and lost, the ones we’ve saved, and the caring animal lovers who make this work possible.
Recognition options start at $250. Dedicate your plaque today
Become a Forever Homes Champion
We don’t need a small number of people to give everything. We need a community of people to give what they can, and help us bring others along.
A Forever Homes Champion commits to a personal fundraising goal and invites their own
network to help them reach it. You’ll have a personal fundraising page, a script and toolkit, and
our full support every step of the way.
You don’t need to be a fundraiser. You just need to care about animals, and know a few people
who do too.
Here’s what Champions do:
• Set up a personal fundraising page (we’ll show you how and it takes just a few minutes)
• Share your “why:” your story, in your words, with the people who know you
• Make a personal gift (any amount) and invite others to join you
• Invite your network to help these animals in need