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NAPLES — The dog house is getting a face lift.

And the cat’s quarters won’t be too shabby, either.

The Humane Society of Naples on Wednesday received preliminary design approval from the Naples Design Review Board for renovations and an expansion. The organization leases property at the Naples Municipal Airport, and needed to go before the board to get approval for renovations.

The renovations include an 11,000-square-foot addition, plus improvements to the existing building, said Andy Reed, the Humane Society’s director of development.

The original shelter was built in the 1960s, and plans for minor renovations have been in the works for several years. Those plans changed after Hurricane Wilma hit in October 2005, when Reed said the shelter was deemed uninhabitable because of the damage.

The new building will house an intake — or acceptance — area, a clinic and isolation area. The building also will include educational and outreach rooms, as well as a dog-training area for trainers to use.

“Even the animals live well in Naples, I’ll say that,” board member Thomas Scangarello said.

Reed said the renovations and expansion will increase the shelter’s capacity, but not by much. Instead, the philosophy is to create a facility that will encourage more adoptions.

The building, according to a planning department staff report, will have a stucco exterior, stone veneers and darker colors on the north side. Stones placed in the shape of a dog and cat paw will mark the entrance of the building’s intake area.

“I think the paws are kind of fun, it looks interesting,” Chairman Eugene Martin said. “Overall, I think it’s excellent.”

It will be another year before Collier County residents can expect to see the new building, Reed said.

If all goes as planned, construction on the addition is scheduled to start in January. Contractors have guaranteed that the building will be complete about nine months after work begins.

The expansion project will cost about $3.6 million. The Humane Society raised more than $1.6 million in pledged and in-hand donations, Reed said.

The Humane Society of Naples is a local, nonprofit organization that houses both a no-kill shelter and a veterinary clinic. The organization has been in Collier County since 1960, and takes in companion pets — such as cats and dogs — that have been surrendered by their owner.

The board still needs to give the design final approval before the Humane Society moves forward with its plans.