SPCA of Westchester Holds Ceremony For Eye-Popping New Facility

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY —SPCA Westchester celebrated the move back to its new $9 million Animal Rescue Center in Briarcliff Manor with a ribbon-cutting on Sunday.

At the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 27,000-square-foot shelter, more than 100 supporters joined staff and board members to celebrate the milestone in the SPCA’s 138-year-old history.

"We are very excited that our dogs and cats have a comfortable, loving 'temporary' home while in our care, thanks to our wonderful community of supporters," said Executive Director Shannon Laukhuf.

The Animal Rescue Center replaces the old and crumbling structures on the North State Road campus that dated back to the 1950s. The state-of-the-art, modern facility is much bigger. It can accommodate up to 250 rescue animals, allowing the SPCA to expand its rescue programs and services.

It also offers animals and people a far different experience.

"We really wanted our rescue center to have a happy welcoming feeling so the community will want to come in whether it's to adopt to donate or to volunteer," Development Director Lisa Bonanno told Patch.

The catteries will crack you up. The designs are thanks to a Tony-nominated set designer and Broadway Barks.

From the Old English Library, complete with a faux fireplace and a real-life portrait framed cat bed, to the Enchanted Forest with a beautiful sprawling tree for cats to perch on and climb, the creative habitats are an enriching breakthrough in animal sheltering, SPCA officials said.

Then there's the Dog of the Day Room, which replicates a home-like setting that will help thousands of dogs prepare for their new forever families.

"They're called real-life spaces, which we put in to help prepare animals for transition. There's a TV, but we turned it into a dog bed TV. They actually do use it, which is really fun," said Development Director Lisa Bonanno.

There's also the Music Room, a calm space for volunteers and senior dogs to relax in for music therapy, which includes a piano.

The new Rescue Center includes 77 indoor dog habitats, 33 outdoor day pens for fresh air and enrichment, 4 fenced-in play yards for exercise and doggy playgroups, multiple cat condos and communal living catteries, and 6 meet-and-greet “matchmaking” rooms for dogs and cats to spend time in with potential adopters.

There is also a large multi-purpose room, allowing staff to host humane education classes and workshops for the community, as well as indoor dog training.

The SPCA’s low-cost Cody’s Clinic is significantly larger and includes new, modernized equipment and an additional examination room and surgical suite.

The animals and their caregivers actually moved in at the end of July and worked quietly since then to put the finishing touches on everything and get acclimated, Bonanno said.

To learn more about the SPCA’s new Animal Rescue Center, visit spcawestchester.org.