A Letter from Our President

While it seems like only yesterday, it has been almost a year since we held the groundbreaking ceremony to announce our Kindness for All Kind Campaign. As with all worthwhile endeavors, this journey has had many twists and turns. I am grateful for the support of our community along the way.

May has marked two incredible milestones in our efforts. On May 9th, Assemblymember Jen Lunsford came to Lollypop Farm to announce a five-million-dollar gift from New York State towards the Kindness for All Kind Campaign.

During the press conference, Lunsford referenced the incredible work done daily to help animals and people alike throughout the greater Rochester area as a key reason for the State’s backing. This is the first time in our organization’s 150-year history that we have received funding of this magnitude.

In addition to this support, on Wednesday, May 15th, Lollypop Farm received conditional approval for our project site plan from the Perinton Town Planning Board. This was achieved through immense work between Lollypop Farm staff, Town personnel, construction managers, architects, engineers, environmental specialists, and designers. We defined and redefined our plans to ensure the protection of the surrounding wetlands. The condition of our Town approval is the receipt of a Department of Environmental Conservation permit, which we expect shortly.

It has been an exciting time for all who care about the future of animal welfare in our area. We can now begin the bidding process that will allow us to transform our campus into one of the nation’s leading community-based animal welfare and education centers. We can also look toward the next steps in our master plan, which continue to address issues of pet homelessness, animal cruelty, and pet owners’ struggles. With your support, we move closer every day to our goal—Kindness for All Kind.

With Lollypop Love,

Alice Calabrese, CAWA
President & CEO
Lollypop Farm

Construction Update

An immense amount of activity has occurred over the last several years to get us to the point of breaking ground. We look forward to seeing excavators and large equipment as a regular fixture on our campus this summer. Over the past two years, a small army of Lollypop staff, construction managers, architects, engineers, environmental specialists, and designers have developed and refined highly detailed plans for site improvements, buildings, stormwater management, and other systems required to turn our dreams into reality. We continue to work with the town, county, and state authorities to receive approvals – no small task! A project of this size and scope has many layers of approvals, from site plan approvals to building permits and beyond. Along our journey, we will work with many agencies, including the Town of Perinton, the NYS Department of Transportation, the Monroe County Water Authority, the DEC, the Army Corps of Engineers, the NYS Department of Historic Preservation, Fairport Electric, and others.

If you are wondering, “What took so long?” We have been navigating a rigorous approval process to receive approval for our site plans from the Town of Perinton. We are now awaiting approval from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which we expect to receive shortly. Due to the presence of wetlands on our property, this process has been extensive and time-consuming. While we are eager to begin, we recognize the importance of protecting our surrounding wetlands.

Groundwork will begin as soon as possible, marking the exciting start of our project. This will include excavators and bulldozers on site at Lollypop Farm, at Egypt Park, where we will add pig pastures, and across the street on our new East Campus!

We fully expect to continue our shelter operations throughout construction, including holding our Barktober Fest Walk for the Animals in September. Our farmyard and trails will also be open, with occasional closures as we take deliveries of construction supplies.

We promise to keep you updated on our progress!

Imagine the Future…

Rochester’s poverty rate is just over 33%, higher than any other city of similar size in the country. Often, those struggling to feed their families also struggle to feed their pets. We know this first hand as last year, Lollypop Farm’s Pet Pantry provided the community with almost 30,000 lbs of pet food. We believe if a family is struggling through a difficult time, be it the loss of a job or family member, downsizing, or a threatening event, it should not mean losing a beloved pet. With so much need in our community our staff is challenged to find ways to collect and store pet food to help satisfy this growing need. Thankfully, the new Donation & Support Center will enable us to safely gather and organize supplies donated by the community until we can get these supplies to their ultimate destination – the pets in our community.

Together, with our generous community members who donate to our Pet Panty, we look forward to the even greater life-changing impact we will have on the pets and people who need us most.

Support from Our Community…

“Lollypop Farm is a beacon of hope and the voice for animals in our region. This capital campaign is essential to accelerating their expansion, expanding their reach, and saving even more lives.”

-William L. Schoff
Capital Campaign Supporter

Learn More

We look forward to sharing pictures, videos, and more with you as we get underway with construction. As excavators make their way on to the campus and we begin to break ground, we will be sharing regular updates on our website.

If you would like to receive information or have questions about the Kindness for All Kind Campaign, please email donations@lollypop.org.