Animal shelter enviroment sterile, yet inviting for animals, people

Designing a building for more than 600 is challenging.

But if you make them all animals, you've got the challenge project manager David Solaro faced in orchestrating the design of the new Washoe County Regional Animal Services Center.

"I liken the design of this building to having an office building, a medical building and a jail all in one," says Solaro, an architect with the Washoe County Public Works Department.

"We've had to deal with all the cleanliness aspects of a hospital site, disease control and those things, as well as keeping the animals where we want them, and providing a safe and comfortable place for the employees working there."

Construction began last month and should be completed in November 2005.

The 63,000-square-foot building will sit on 5.71 acres at 2825 Longley Lane, site of the existing Reno Animal Shelter.

It should open in December 2005.

A $10.5 million bond and donations raised through the Nevada Humane Society's Pet Project capital campaign are funding construction.

The center represents a public/private partnership between Washoe County Animal Control and the Humane Society.

The building is engineered for animal health.A ventilation system brings fresh air into kennels, avoiding re-circulated air that can spread disease.

The floors are coated with epoxy resin for ease in cleaning.A state-ofthe- art cleaning system eliminates the need for mops and buckets.

Although it's a standard block design, the building's exterior is inviting.

The look came from local architects Ganther-Melby, LLC, and California's George Meyers and Associates.

Meyers' Reno-Tahoe regional look utilizes brown and green to blend into the landscape.

Stone veneer and metal trellis work adorn the fa ade.

In the adoption areas, roofs are pitched for a more intimate, human scale designed to encourage adoptions.

Currently,Washoe County Animal Control handles stray, lost or abandoned animals, while the Humane Society handles previously owned or owner-surrendered animals.

Both conduct adoptions.

In the new facility, both will be under one roof.Washoe County will turn unredeemed strays over to the Humane Society, which will handle all adoptions.

Dog capacity will grow from 222 to 249; cat capacity goes from 201 to 322.

There will be space for 76 small/exotic animals (rabbits, gerbils, snakes, etc.).

There's even a wildlife rehabilitation area.And there's greater comfort for animals and people.

"Traditionally shelters are rows and rows of kennels, and not very appealing to people," explains Susan Asher, executive director of the Nevada Humane Society."Design in modern time has become more mall-like in feel, so you're actually shopping for a pet."

Inside, the public finds itself in a grand gallery, including a retail shop (for food, leashes or other pet needs) and an adoption counter.

Cat cages are Plexiglas for a quiet, relaxing environment that prevents disease spread.

Cat colony rooms allow up to 20 cats to mingle, climb furniture and exercise.Asher says that enabling animals to interact with each other in more natural surroundings gives them more pleasant dispositions -- increasing adoption numbers.

Dogs will each enjoy their own indoor/outdoor kennels.

They'll play and run in new exercise yards.Meet-and-greet areas allow people to meet dogs one-on-one.

Living rooms containing televisions and furniture allow families to observe animals in homelike settings.

Concrete block walls between kennels reduce noise and disease spread.

A multi-media education area will house humane education programs or dog bite prevention classes.

The 3,300-square-foot clinic will offer full veterinary services.

"There's really nothing like this center," says Solaro."We've toured other facilities, and taken the input from everybody to provide the best in material.You need an attractive place so that it's nice to visit, and you get a sense of wanting to adopt an animal today.

A happy environment ...

not warehousing animals."