Regional animal shelter to undergo renovations
Construction for a multimillion dollar face-lift at the Monmouth County SPCA building in Eatontown was expected to start recently. A groundbreaking ceremony was planned at the Wall Street SPCA facility and plans call for upgrades and renovations to be completed in 12 to 16 months.

An artist's rendering of the Monmouth County SPCA building, Eatontown, after renovations are completed.

"The renovation will transform the SPCA into one of the finest animal welfare facilities in the state," said Rich Devlin, who works in the development department at Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) in Eatontown.

The $3.5 million renovation project will include a complete remodeling of the shelter, as well as a 4,500-square-foot addition of the SPCA building, according to Devlin.

The new facility will house pet gazebos, veterinary care facilities, exercise and agility areas, adoption and visitor centers, a learning center, a birthing center and a shelter pet salon. Plans also call for each new animal enclosure to include its own ventilation system to prevent animal odors from spreading throughout the facility.

"The SPCA has raised over $2.5 million for the renovation project through capital campaign pledges and donations, capital grants, fundraisers and individual donations," Devlin said.

It is seeking donations to raise another $1 million to complete the plans, he said.

The 30-year-old facility has "far exceeded" its ability to properly care for its animals, according to the SPCAWeb site.

The SPCA building was originally constructed to care for 40 dogs and 60 cats, but it has been housing 70 dogs and more than 400 cats, Devlin said.

Due to the increase in animals, employees and volunteers have been forced to create makeshift housing in the rooms once used for dog training and socialization, Devlin said.

The current shelter was built in the 1960s and was upgraded in 1996 to include an additional spay and neuter clinic, according to Devlin.

That same year, the shelter was designated as an "open admissions" facility, which means it does not euthanize adoptable animals. It does, however, put down animals that are extremely sick or overly aggressive to the point of not being adoptable, Devlin said.

"[The] open admissions policy has taken its toll on the aging shelter," Devlin said.

The renovations will help eliminate stress and disease for all pets in the shelter's care, according to the SPCAWeb site.

"The health of the shelter animals is of paramount importance," Devlin said.

Also included in the renovations plan is an area at the facility where cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIT) will be treated.

Cats infected with FIT must be separated from the general population due to the risk of further spreading the virus, which is transmitted through bites and scratches, according to the Web site.

Construction of the FIT room is being paid for by a $10,000 grant provided by Friskies cat food company.

The SPCA was awarded the grant through the efforts of hundreds of Monmouth County residents who voted online at the Friskies Web site to win the grant.

The SPCA currently employs one fulltime veterinarian, several veterinary technicians, a number of part-time veterinarians working in the Vogel SPCA Spay and Neuter Clinic and 200 volunteers, according to Devlin.

Anyone interested in donating time or making a financial donation to the SPCA can call (732) 542-2030 or send donations to: Monmouth County SPCA, 260 Wall Street, P.O. Box 93, Eatontown, NJ 07724.