Construction of Islip's new $9.1M animal shelter underway

Islip Town's dogs and cats are getting a new home to help them find new homes.

The town is building a new $9.1 million animal shelter in Central Islip to replace the current facility in Bay Shore that officials and residents have said is antiquated, with insufficient space for canines, kitties and humans.

Slated for completion next year, the new 14,500-square-foot shelter near Carleton Avenue will be about 32% larger than the Bay Shore shelter and feature more kennels for animals and new viewing areas for visitors.

“It’s a lot more centrally located than our current shelter," said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter, noting the new facility will be near the Southern State Parkway and Route 111. “It's really just so much easier to get to, and it’s really much more spacious than the current shelter."

Islip officials had sought for years to replace the Bay Shore facility, which has what Carpenter called a "cramped" lobby and lacks basic amenities such as up-to-date heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The new shelter will have four rooms for viewing prospective pets, compared with two in Bay Shore.

The new shelter also will be accessible to disabled visitors, which the current one isn't. Construction of the new facility is partly financed by almost $1 million in state grants, Carpenter said. The state funding includes $500,000 in municipal facilities construction aid and $498,000 from a state Department of Agriculture and Markets program to encourage animal shelter improvements.

The steel skeleton of the new building has been mostly completed, and concrete soon will be poured, said Marty Bellew, who supervises the shelter as commissioner of Islip's Department of Environmental Control. Within weeks, the exterior will be completed and workers can start building the interior, he said.

Bellew said the coronavirus pandemic did not delay construction, but some suppliers until recently had been unable to deliver construction material.

In addition to new viewing areas, the Central Islip shelter will have expanded and updated laundry and medical facilities, Bellew said. The lobby will feature displays of puppies and kittens, he said.

Last year the shelter helped 450 animals — about 270 dogs, 130 cats and 50 other critters — find new forever homes, Bellew said. Through Monday, the shelter saw 170 pets get adopted this year, including about 100 dogs, 60 cats and 10 other animals.

Besides cats and dogs, the shelter has received pets such as guinea pigs, rabbits and various types of birds that were injured or homeless, he said.

The new shelter will enable Islip to host a trap, neuter and release — or TNR — program run by volunteers to help control the feral cat population, Carpenter said. Residents have been "clamoring" for such a program, she said.

Town officials hope the new facility helps spur interest in the shelter and Islip's adoption programs.

“We’re hoping to get more of the community involved in the volunteer side of it," said Ken Moses, operations manager for the environmental control department. "There’s a lot of positives coming out of it.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.