The Humane Society of Westchester held a ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate the newly renovated building.

Attendees say the area feels like a true modern animal shelter. The building doubled in size from 6,000 square-feet to 12,000 square-feet.

It cost $4.5 million to renovate and expand the operation, and the funds came from from private donors and state grants.

A brand new, state-of-the-art shelter aimed at creating a warm, practical space is what’s housed inside the large venue.

“It's a beautiful facility, welcoming to the public,” says Lee Anne Veley, manager of the Humane Society of Westchester. “Everybody who sees it, are amazed.”

The shelter also has five rooms deemed the ‘get acquainted room,’ where families come to bond with the shelter’s dogs.

“When people come in to adopt a dog, they want that connection. that's allows the one-on-one connection,” says Humane Society of Westchester shelter manager Dana Rocco.

A medical suite to treat injured animals, second-floor meeting room, room where animals can get familiar with home living spaces, along with and a separate cat room were among the additions.

The improvements began five weeks before the pandemic started, but the shelter managed to operate while construction moved ahead. Their hope now is for families to come by and feel right at home with a pet they’d like to adopt.

The Humane Society of Westchester also created a concierge service where counselors work one-on-one with families through the entire adoption process. For more information about the shelter, visit their website.