The days of cramped space and drab surroundings for Manteca’s unwanted or lost dogs and cats are numbered.

The city is dedicating the new $2.1 million animal shelter on the corner of South Main and Wetmore streets on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m.

Built with growth fees collected on new housing, the new facility more than doubles the available space for animals plus provides exercise areas as well as two large animal adoption rooms with large windows. They are designed so that people considering adopting a dog or a cat can have time with the animals without them being stressed by other dogs or cats in the facility. There is also a grassy adoption area outside where potential owners can get to know a dog.

Everything about the building - from its location on busy South Main Street and its eye-catching architecture to how its interior is painted and designed - is aimed at encouraging adoptions.

The shelter has:

• Two separate dog rooms. Each has 13 individual kennels designed with a door that slides up in the middle of each run. That allows doubling the available space for up to 52 dogs if needed. The kennels have a system where urine and smaller fecal matter can be hosed into using a wand system after larger droppings are collected.

• There is a separate room where animals - when needed - can be put to sleep.

•There is an examine room for treating animals.

• There are two cat rooms of which one is for the isolation of sick cats.

• There is an outside holding pen for larger animals.

• There is an extensive exercise area outside for dogs.

The design employs all of the latest standards adopted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.