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The Suffolk Humane Society celebrated their grand re-opening last weekend with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday and an open house on Saturday. Board member Sheriff David Miles was in attendance, as well as Mayor Michael Duman.

In a written statement, office manager Megan Armbuster said renovations were made possible by a grant the Humane Society received last year for about $20,000. From planning to completion, she said the renovations took about six months.

Renovations included updating the floors, restroom, kennels, and lobby area. Armbuster said the most anticipated additions were the catio — an outdoor cat patio — and the cat playroom next to the lobby.

Armbuster said the catio was built by members of the Coast Guard and is a wooden addition connected to one of the cat rooms with a sliding door. It’s been a “huge hit with the kitties,” Armbuster wrote, and “they love to spend the afternoon bird watching and cat napping.”

The cat playroom is equipped with cat perches mounted across one wall. The goal for this new room is to “add a space for meet and greets and overall stimulation for our animals,” Armbuster wrote. 

The lobby upgrades make for an overall homey, living room feel. During the open house, volunteers mentioned they want visitors to be able to interact with animals in a space that truly feels like home.

Miles said he was “blown away” by the renovations.

“It is a night and day difference,” he said, “but I think it’s going to be great to help as we are introduced to new people that don’t know what the Humane Society does, and it just gives them a nice, warm environment to come in and get introduced to us.”

The Humane Society’s long-standing pet food pantry was also given a more permanent spot during the renovations, with a goal to keep it consistently stocked. Armbuster emphasized the pantry is fully reliant on donations. They accept wet and dry food, treats, and litter.

They currently have 11 cats and four dogs available for adoption. Only cats are kept on-site, while dogs stay in foster homes until they’re adopted.