Construction is officially underway on the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs’ new Puppy Development & Visitor Center in Smithtown, with TRITEC Real Estate Company leading construction on the 30,000-square-foot facility.
The groundbreaking was marked by a parachute jump from members of The All Veteran Group, a fitting salute to an organization whose mission centers on veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders.
The new center will increase the organizations’ training capacity by roughly 25 percent, expanding their ability to raise, train, and place custom-trained guide and service dogs — always at no cost to the recipient.
“Everything we do is free of charge,” said John Miller, president and CEO of America’s VetDogs. “It costs us well over $50,000 to get one dog ready, so we really are depending on the public’s generosity.”
Announced in July as part of the organizations’ multi-million-dollar “Building for the Future” campaign, the center will rise on the existing national headquarters campus in Smithtown, where the Guide Dog Foundation has been based since the early 1950s. Plans call for space to welcome more than 300 guests, a modern veterinary suite with enhanced biosecurity, interactive learning experiences for schools and community groups, and a dedicated home for the organizations’ Celebration Saturday graduations. The building is expected to open in 2027–2028.
TRITEC is managing all aspects of construction, bringing the firm’s experience delivering complex, community-focused projects across Long Island to a building designed to serve people with disabilities for decades to come.
For full coverage, visit News 12 Long Island.
