More than $7.5 million in state funds will help renovate more than 20 animal shelters across New York and ensure safe conditions for our furry friends.

Here's an idea how this kind of money can help make a difference.

Three times a month, staff and volunteers at a Central New York animal shelter do a dance, bringing pets in and out of their clinic room to recovery.

“We have to do everything here in the hall, and we’re five feet away from the dog kennels, which isn’t completely ideal,” said Nick Lapresi, executive director of Finger Lakes SPCA of CNY.

Its clinic room is in need of an upgrade.

“New clinic room, it is going to get a little bit bigger," Lapresi said. "Right now, we’re using it for our food storage. Where the clinic is currently situated, the vet can't visually see them, so a lot of times, as they're recovering, the vet has to stop surgery, come out check on our patients.”

The facility's spay and neuter clinic is in high demand.

"At this moment, I have over 450 different applications of different households of people needing this service, so it's definitely a huge service that we provide to the community, and we want to increase that service,” Lapresi said.

In May, the shelter received a $482,000 grant from the state’s Companion Animal Capital Fund. It will help pay for upgrades to the clinic room and other upgrades, like replacing 70-year-old kennels. The new ones will be state-of-the-art, wider, longer and with sound absorption.

“A lot of times with the cinder block, that will echo sound, which can lead to a lot more stress with our dogs,” Lapresi said.

The SPCA will also get an HVAC system to help prevent the spread of airborn disease in animals. Insulation and siding will make the room temperature more comfortable. It now reaches above 80 degrees, and drops to below 60.

“We really want to make sure our animals stay very comfortable, they stay at room temperature,” Lapresi said.

The total cost of the renovation is more than $640,000. They are still fundraising to make the project possible.

"I’m very excited for these new kennel renovations because it's going to make my job easier, it's going to make me want to come in more," said Edward Schroeder, animal care and facilities coordinator. "I’m going to feel proud of the place I work, and I'm gonna know and be able to trust that the work we do pays off, that we’re actually making a difference and helping these animals.”

In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Companion Animal Care Standards Act into law. Requirements include isolation for sick animals, staff and volunteer training, recordkeeping standards and sanitary protocols when the law takes effect in a few years.

Plus, shelters will be required to be licensed under the Department of Agriculture.