The Mansell Campus of the Atlanta Humane Society holds a grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m., a chance for the public to check out the facility up close as the ribbon is cut for the animal shelter.

More than 300 dogs and cats were arriving at the campus to await adoption.

This is the first operational expansion for the Humane Society in its 138-year history. The 32,000-square-foot building no longer resembles a car dealership, which is what the building once housed.

Features of what Deborah Ann Smith, director of community relations, called a state-of-the-art facility include:

• Cage-free dog and puppy sections;
• Glassed-wall, free-roaming cat rooms;
• A one-acre XGrass dog exercise arena.

The shelter is at 1565 Mansell Rd, Alpharetta. Call the Atlanta Humane Society at 404-875-5331.