GUILDERLAND — New hours of operation at the town’s recently-renovated animal shelter will soon take effect.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends, someone will be in the French’s Mill Road facility so that people can drop by. Until now, if the animal control officer got a call and had to leave the shelter to attend to business, the shelter would shut, said Supervisor Kenneth Runion.

Now, the shelter will have a maintenance person on hand during business hours so that it can remain open while animal control officers are responding to calls.
"We’re just trying to make it more available," Runion said.
"Guilderhaven is delighted with the new hours," said Sue Green, treasurer of the local rescue operation that works with the town shelter.

The not-for-profit group raised almost $50,000 to contribute to the renovation project at the shelter, plus roughly the same amount in in-kind donations, she said.
"It took a good eight to 10 months to get it up to speed," said Richard Savage, Guilderland’s animal control director, of the renovations. "I just want people to come see it."