The Leader Dogs for the Blind headquarters, located in Rochester Hills, is putting the final touches on a $14.5 million renovation – a new state-of-the-art Canine Development Center.

Prior to the renovation, portions of the kennel dated back to the 1960’s, proving insufficient for the needs of today. It took three years of planning before the organization broke ground on the renovation in August of 2014.

The kennels are larger and placed on the perimeter of each room. In all, there will be a total of 255 kennels, standing 2.5 times larger than the old spaces. There will also be three times more space available for incoming liters, while allowing increased socialization and supervision.

A centralized vet clinic with onsite veterinary staff allows for the facility to provide specialized care for each dog. The clinic gains about 35 percent more space with the renovation.

Kennel environments aren’t always ideal and can create stress on the dogs temporarily staying in them, whether it be for breeding or healthcare purposes.

The facility redesigned the kennels implementing more of an open floor concept so the pups can  roll, wobble and play with one another. When puppy play becomes exhausting some opt sleep in the corner, not bothered by the chaos happening around them. After all a puppy needs its rest.

Large open garage doors, connected to the kennels, let the puppies safely wander outside, while letting fresh air fill the new space. The low walls allow volunteers and staff to keep a close eye on the little balls of fur.

If you want to see the puppies for yourself, stop into the Leader Dogs for the Blind lobby area, where you’ll have a front row seat to the puppy viewing area.

Although a large percentage of the renovation has been completed, there are still many parts of the building where hard-hats are worn and construction sounds can be heard. The entire project is scheduled for completion in the fall of this year.

For more information on Leader Dogs for the Blind, visit their website, or follow Leader Dogs for the Blind on Facebook and Twitter.

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