By NATE DOUGHERTY - 5/17/2012 3:35:35 PM

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester is kicking off a $4.5 million capital campaign to expand its facility and meet growing needs, the organization announced Thursday.

The Unleash the Dream campaign will add necessary resources for a facility that has outgrown its demand, Lollypop Farm officials said. Animal adoptions, admissions, staff and volunteers have increased dramatically and the organization’s facility is inadequate to handle it all, officials added.

The campaign has raised $3.2 million during its quiet phase, and officials said they hope to raise $1 million more within the next year.

“We need the help of the community to make these critical improvements to our facilities that will directly and immediately improve our ability to care for animals in Greater Rochester and education the public,” said Alice Calabrese, president and CEO. “As an independent non-profit that receives no government funding, Lollypop Farm relies entirely on support from the community to help pets in need.”

Lollypop Farm is looking for pledges and donations of all sizes. To this point funding has come from a mix of individuals, corporate sponsors and foundations, officials said.

Read more on the campaign and the plans in Friday’s edition of the Rochester Business Journal.(c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email service@rbj.net.