SCRANTON -- The zoo at Nay Aug Park in Scranton would have turned 100 this summer. The zoo building will reopen this year, and it will have animals in it, just maybe not in the way you expect.
The Nay Aug Zoo building expects to have its grand reopening next month as the headquarters for St. Cats and Dogs. It's a charity that does low-cost spaying and neutering as well as animal adoptions.
When St. Cats and Dogs first leased the building from the city of Scranton in 2014, they knew there was a lot of work to do. No one knows what a difference three years make better than Joanne Davis.
"The ceiling was pretty much on the floor when we got here."
There's been a lot of progress since about $30,000 in renovations.
St. Cats and Dogs is focusing on cats right now. So far, 200 have been adopted and many of them stay at the zoo building. This is also where the charity hosts spay and neuter clinics.
Veterinarians perform surgeries in an RV for now. There's a long-term goal of putting a surgical suite in the zoo.
"It's very rewarding, especially with all the girls who have been helping take care of the cats, and all the help we've had taking care of the building. We have a new roof," said Davis.
In just this one day, the vets and volunteers spayed and neutered about 60 cats.
Cynthia Bolduc's pet Brooklyn was one of them.
"It's actually pretty awesome because sometimes it's too expensive to bring your cat to a vet. This just makes it a little easier and it's closer," said Bolduc.
Davis says the public will be able to visit the Nay Aug Zoo again next month. This week there's a carnival at Nay Aug Park to help raise money for further renovations to the building.
"That will be a marvelous thing. Anything for the city of Scranton to be renovated and renew itself is always a great thing," Donna Czarkowski said.
The carnival runs through Saturday near the Everhart Museum at Nay Aug Park.
St. Cats and Dogs plans to host its opening at the old zoo on June 24.