PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff A multimillion dollar renovation project is under way at the Monmouth County SPCA building and thrift store on Wall Street in Eatontown. After almost a year of work, the first phase of a multimillion dollar renovation project at the Monmouth County SPCA is nearing completion.

Plans for the project call for a complete renovation of the SPCA's main shelter building, located on Wall Street in Eatontown, as well as a renovation of the organization's thrift store, which is located on the site.

Construction was completed last week on the SPCA thrift store, and the organization is awaiting a certificate of occupancy for the building so that staff and volunteers can begin putting the final touches on the interior.

The thrift store, which was originally constructed in the 1960s, is set to open its doors to the public by the end of the month.

"[The store] was completed on Sept. 27 and the only thing we have left is a list of small items that we are now addressing," Monmouth County SPCA Executive Director Ursula Goetz said.

A doorway has been walled up as part of the renovation project. The thrift store is located on the same site of the main SPCA building and is a 5,000-square-foot, two-story building. The building will house the thrift store on the first floor and an apartment unit on the second floor.

The SPCA's caretaker, who will act as 24-hour surveillance for the organization, will live in the second-floor apartment, according to Goetz.

All funds raised through the operation of the thrift store will support the operations of the animal shelter.

"The thrift store, through the funding it raises, provides food and veterinary care for the shelter," Goetz said. "That is why it is so important for us to operate that store again, because for the last nine months, the store was closed, so we lost that income," Goetz explained.

The SPCA accepts items, ranging from slightly worn clothes to jewelry and books, for the thrift store. Clothing items that the store cannot sell are deposited in bins located outside of the building. The unwanted clothing is then transported to a recycling facility, which reimburses the SPCA.

Construction of the $350,000 thrift store was the first phase of a two-part project that includes a complete renovation of the SPCA's main shelter.

The second phase of the project, which is still ongoing, calls for the once "overcrowded" SPCA shelter to be gutted and reconstructed to allow the organization to care for its animals more efficiently.

"We hope by next April to have the entire renovation completed," Goetz said. "That will improve the lives of animals at the shelter until they find new homes," she added.

Originally constructed to care for roughly 40 dogs and 60 cats, the SPCA's current shelter houses some 70 dogs and over 400 cats, according to officials at the SPCA.

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

Employees working in the SPCA administrative offices were forced to move to a temporary location in West Long Branch in order to create room for the animals while construction is taking place, Goetz explained.

Constructed in the 1960s and upgraded in 1996 to include an additional spay and neuter clinic, the shelter has far exceeded its capacity to effectively care for stray and uncared for animals in the county, according to Goetz.

"Last year we took care of 4,000 animals and the clinic spayed and neutered 4,300," Goetz said. Known as an "open admissions" facility, the Monmouth County SPCA does not euthanize animals that are considered adoptable in order to make room for new animals. However, it does put down animals that are extremely sick or overly aggressive, Goetz said.

"When animals are adoptable, they can stay here for several months," Goetz said.

Once completed, the $3.5 million renovation project will allow the animals at the shelter to be cared for in a disease and stress free environment.

"We hope by next April to have the entire renovation completed," Goetz said. "It will improve the lives of animals at the shelter until they find new home."

Amenities included in the renovated shelter will be a new $1 million HVAC system to prevent sicknesses from spreading throughout the animal population and new pens for animals that will include sound suppressing technology to lower the stress levels of the animals.

"[The HVAC system] will pump fresh air into the animals' pens to prevent the spread of disease and create an odorless facility," Goetz said.

The facility will also feature glass gazebos to replace the chain- link cages for dogs. 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 of the virus, which is transmitted through bites and scratches.

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, as well as several veterinary technicians, a number of part-time vets working in the Vogel SPCA Spay and Neuter Clinic and some 200 volunteers.

Despite the ongoing construction, Goetz said that the SPCA shelter continues to operate seven days a week. Anyone interested in making donations or adopting a pet from the Monmouth County SPCA can call 732- 542-0040.