Joybound People & Pets Breaks Ground on The Liberty Center to Help Keep Bay Area Pet Families Together

The $16 million facility will expand crisis boarding, veterinary behavioral services, pet boarding, and daycare, with opening anticipated in early 2028

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joybound People & Pets celebrated the groundbreaking of The Liberty Center: Pet Boarding, Daycare & Veterinary Behavioral Services on October 21, marking a major milestone in the organization's commitment to strengthening the human-animal bond and expanding essential resources for Bay Area pets and families.

Joybound's Board of Directors hosted the ceremony, which welcomed community leaders including Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, and Walnut Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk. The project follows unanimous approval from the Walnut Creek Planning Commission on September 10.

“Across the Bay Area, families need trusted pet boarding and daycare services. This is especially true for those facing medical emergencies, housing instability, domestic violence situations, or natural disasters, who struggle to find safe temporary care for their pets,” said Susan Lee Vick President & CEO of Joybound People & Pets. “The Liberty Center is being built to help close that gap while expanding access to specialized behavioral care that can prevent pets from being surrendered.”

A state-of-the-art Veterinary Behavioral Clinic within the facility, led by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Wailani Sung, will provide specialized treatment and behavior support to help pets remain with their families. The Liberty Center will also feature dog and cat boarding, daycare, and training spaces, with revenue supporting Joybound's community programs.

The Liberty Center is named in honor of Liberty, a beloved therapy dog of major supporters Maud and Burton Goldfield. For more than a decade, Liberty brought comfort to sick children and their families, embodying the compassion and unconditional love that will guide the facility's approach to care.

"The name Liberty represents something deeply meaningful: the freedom to travel, go to work, or attend to life's responsibilities knowing your beloved pet is safe and cared for," said Dr. Wailani Sung Senior Director of Animal Admissions & Wellbeing. "It's the freedom to leave an unsafe domestic situation without leaving a pet behind, or to navigate a medical emergency or natural disaster with the reassurance that your animal has a safe place to stay. Ultimately, The Liberty Center is about giving people peace of mind and helping families remain together, even though life's most difficult circumstances."

During the celebration, Joybound shared exciting progress on The Liberty Center capital campaign, announcing that generous donors have already helped secure more than $2.4 million toward the project’s $5 million philanthropic fundraising goal. With an estimated construction cost of $16 million, work on the facility is expected to begin in early December 2026.

The Liberty Center reflects Joybound’s One Health approach, recognizing that the wellbeing of people, pets, and communities is deeply connected. When it opens in early 2028, the facility will represent one of the most comprehensive investments in keeping people and pets together in the Bay Area.

Learn more about The Liberty Center: https://joybound.org/donate/the-liberty-center-campaign/

For media inquiries, interview opportunities with Joybound Leadership, images, or additional information about The Liberty Center, please contact Chelsea Blackburn.

About Joybound People & Pets:

Joybound People & Pets is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the human-animal bond through rescue and adoption programs, pet-focused vocational training and community services that benefit animals and the people who care for them. Since 1991, Joybound has facilitated more than 55,000 pet adoptions and offers accessible veterinary services, animal training, education, and workforce development. Over the past three years, Joybound’s community impact efforts to serve and keep pet families together have grown to more than 441,212 impacts.