Jump to the intro.
The feel of the building is very much like a human medical complex.
About 2/3 of the adoptions the society facilitates each year are cats, according to Marguerite Pearson, Mohawk Hudson's marketing and communications manager.
Cat "condos."
One of the benefits of the extra space in the new facility is the ability to spread out not just the individual animals from each other, but also the types of animals.
The area where dogs up for adoption stay. Pearson said there's strong demand for dog adoption in this area -- so much so that Mohawk Hudson frequently brings in dogs from shelters in southeastern states.
A grooming room.
The surgical center, where a cat was being spayed.
So, this is Frito. He lives in the surgical area (he belongs to one of the vet techs), where he enjoys a frequent stream of Cheez-Its as treats.
One of the areas for holding cats. The extra space in the new building allows the cats to be grouped by age.
The cat nursery.
Space for volunteers.
Space for laundry and food.
A garage space set aside for animal control, which has 24-hour access to it.
Upstairs there's a community room for events, training, and... maybe cat yoga eventually.
Office space upstairs.
And back around to the front, where York was hanging out in a dog visiting room by the entrance. He's from Houston -- Mohawk Hudson has been taking in animals from shelters in Texas that have run out of room because of the hurricane. York arrived with a kettle toy -- he's very attached to it, and carries it around with him.
The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society officially opened its new animal care center in Menands Wednesday. The newly-constructed $7 million project is 32,000 square feet -- about 50 percent bigger than the old center -- and a big step up in amenities.
The org could use the space -- its almost 50 staff members and hundreds of volunteers helped facilitate 3,776 pet adoptions last year, in addition to providing services such as spaying/neutering, dog training, and the Safe Haven program for the pets of domestic violence victims. The new facility can provide a temporary home for up to 200 cats at a time, along with 87 dogs, and an assortment of other small animals.
Here's a look around the new building...
Photo tour
There are a bunch of photos at the top in large format -- click or scroll all the way up.
A few other things
Open house
There's an open house for the public at the new center this Sunday, October 1 from 10 am-5 pm if you'd like to stop by and see it for yourself.
Donations
As mentioned above, this is a $7 million project, with $875,000 coming from the state. Mohawk Hudson Humane is still raising money to cover the total cost, and if you'd like to donate, there's info on the website.
And the annual Paws in the Park walk/fundraiser at the The Joe is coming up October 14.
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Mohawk Hudson Humane Society advertises on AOA.
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For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.
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Comments
New digs look great! A lovely home for the lovely staff and volunteers who do such good work finding real homes for so many animals
... said AO Albany on Sep 28, 2017 at 11:23 AM | link
This looks fantastic! A much-needed improvement that will benefit both people and animals.
... said Ellen on Oct 16, 2017 at 5:30 PM | link