DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — One animal shelter in Central Illinois might look a little bit different the next time you visit.

Douglas County Animal Control is beginning to work on renovations. While nothing has drastically changed, as you walk down the hall — you can definitely see their vision coming together.

The biggest change so far is the kennel placed in the back — the shelter manager said they’re making progress slowly but surely. Building manager Riley Weinstock said the improvements will help them take better care of their animals.

“The cat room and then where the dogs are now in the office are going to be completely renovated. [The] office is going to look completely different,” Weinstock said.

They’ll be using $200,000 in ARPA funding, along with some of their yearly donations to complete the project.

“They only had, I want to say, five or six pens for dogs, which then they’re having to put them in crates in the main room where it’s hot out,” Lindsey Wyss, donor, said.

Wyss drops off donations once a week. She believes these new additions will put the shelter in a better position.

“Honestly, the biggest thing we’re excited about is the surgery suite, because right now our vet’s 30 minutes away and doing the [Trap-Neuter-Return] program, it’s kind of difficult to get back and forth in a day’s time,” Weinstock said. “So having that surgery suite will be really nice. We plan on having a doctor here that will help us do all those surgeries.”

It’ll also create more space for visitors, adopters and volunteers.

“Now that they have more space, like, I think they’ll be able to bring in animals from other places, maybe get them away from like kill shelters, which would be cool,” Wyss said.

The goal was to find a new location because the shelter was outdated but Weinstock said it’ll be okay for now.

“It will work for now,” Weinstock said. “I mean, we would love to have a bigger place, but the money to find somewhere and then to build out there or to even find a place that already has a building on it has been very difficult to fit our needs.”

She said besides, everything they needed is getting done.

“The things that we’re fixing are really what we wanted to start working on when I started. Having more space for the dogs, having a cleaner space for all of us to be,” Weinstock said.

They haven’t officially started but they’re hoping to renovate soon. Douglas County Animal Control estimates the construction will last until next year and said the kennel will be the first priority. This includes getting it fixed up and getting rid of the outside dog houses.