Work began Oct. 29 on new floors at the Central Texas Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals headquarters in Leander. The nonprofit received an charitable donation of supplies and services with an estimated value of $8,000, courtesy of the Lowe's located at RR 620 and US 183 in Austin.

SPCA board member Vicky Waser said she simply visited with the store manager at the Lowe's near her home and asked for any help in replacing the floors at the aging building.

"[Store manager] Gil [Suarez] personally came out within days to assess our needs and told us the store would help out where they could," she said, adding that Suarez also arranged for cabinets to be donated and installed on site. "Within a few days, he was back to us with the news that employees were donating their time on days off to provide all the labor for our much-needed flooring project."

Floors throughout the shelter were deteriorated and in patches, making the area dangerous and difficult to clean, board member Jeanette Cacciola said. This week, Lowe's volunteers repaired floors in the area that houses cats and will return in November to replace the flooring in the dog area.

"Donations were solicited for facilities repairs, but the shelter was a little short to cover the floor replacement for the entire facility," Cacciola said. "Gil understood the budget limitations and promised to get all the materials needed within that budget."

The upgrades come at the perfect time, Waser said, because the no-kill shelter celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2013.

The Central Texas SPCA is privately funded and relies solely on donations, adoption fees and special events to operate the adoption center in Leander. Several hundred dogs and cats are rescued and adopted out each year, according to the organization.

For more information about the shelter, located at 909 S. Bagdad Road, visit www.centraltexasspca.org.