HomeMy WebLinkAboutCS 11-26
Report to
Executive Committee
Report Number: CS 11-26
Date: May 4, 2026
From: Laura Gibbs
Director, Community Services
Subject:
Consulting Services for Design of a New Animal Shelter & Municipal Law Enforcement
Services Offices
Request for Proposal No. RFP2026-2
File: A-1440-001
Recommendation:
1. That the proposal submitted by Unity Design Studio Inc. in response to Request for
Proposal No. RFP2026-2 for Consulting Services for Design of a New Animal Shelter &
MLES Offices, in the amount of $1,107,149.00 (net HST) or $1,229,440.00 (HST included)
be accepted;
2. That the total gross project cost of $1,506,999.00 (HST included), including the amount of
the proposal, contingency, and other associated costs, and the total net project cost of
$1,357,099.00 (net HST) be approved;
3. That the Director, Finance & Treasurer be authorized to finance the net project cost of
$1,357,099.00 (net HST) as follows:
a. the sum of $284,061.00 to be funded from DC-Protective Services Development
Charges Reserve Fund;
b. the sum of $784,754.00 be funded by a transfer from the Animal Shelter Reserve Fund;
and
c. the sum of $288,284.00 be funded by a transfer from the Casino Reserve.
4. That the Director, Community Services be authorized to execute the OAA 600 2021 A
Contract with the above-mentioned consultant pursuant to Request for Proposal No.
RFP2026-2; and,
5. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the actions
necessary to implement the recommendations in this report.
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
Page 2
1.0 Executive Summary:
The purpose of this report is to award Request for Proposal No. RFP2026-2 for Consulting
Services for Design of a New Animal Shelter & Municipal Law Enforcement Services (MLES)
Offices. This consulting work includes site investigation, design, preparation of construction
documents, and construction contract administration. The project is to be located on City-
owned lands adjacent to Fire Station 1 & Headquarters, which is at 1700 Zents Drive.
2.0 Relationship to the Pickering Strategic Plan:
The recommendations in this report respond to the Pickering Strategic Plan Priorities of
Advocate for an Inclusive, Welcoming, Safe & Healthy Community; Advance Innovation &
Responsible Planning to Support a Connected, Well-Serviced Community; and Lead &
Advocate for Environmental Stewardship, Innovation & Resiliency.
3.0 Financial Implications:
RFP Amount
Proposal RFP2026-2 $1,088,000.00
HST (13%) 141,440.00
Total Gross Proposal Cost
HST Rebate (11.24%)
Total Net Proposal Cost
$1,229,440.00
(122,291.00)
$1,107,149.00
Estimated Project Costing Summary
Proposal RFP2026-2 $1,088,000.00
Testing and Inspection Costs (Design Phase) 60,000.00
Permits and Approvals 20,000.00
Commitments 35,067.00
Contingency (12%) 130,560.00
Total Project Cost $1,333,627.00
HST (13%) 173,372.00
Total Gross Project Cost $1,506,999.00
HST Rebate (11.24%) (149,900.00)
Total Net Project Cost $1,357,099.00
Approved Source of Funds – Animal Services Capital Budgets
Approved Code Source of Funds Approved Funds Funds Required
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
Page 3
C10430.2101 DC - Debt Financing - 15 Year
$6,004,000 $0
C10430.2101 DC City's Share Reserve 1,626,000 0
C10430.2101 DC-Protective Services Oblig
610,686 284,061
C10430.2101
C10430.2101
Animal Shelter Res Fund
Casino Reserve
1,455,711
0
784,754
288,284
Total $9,696,397 $1,357,099
Project Cost under (over) approved funds by $8,339,298
The 2025 DC funding for this project included a component entitled “Post Period Benefit.” Post
Period Benefit (PPB) refers to the portion of an infrastructure project that is designed to
support growth after the current 10-year planning cycle that is used for a Development
Charges Study. In other words, you could view this phrase (PPB) as the “extra” capacity built
for people who will arrive after the 10-year DC Study period. This cost is set aside and not
charged to current developers, ensuring today’s builders don’t pay for benefits that only future
generations will use. From a funding perspective, the PPB costs are not DC eligible costs yet,
and therefore, they should not be funded by DCs. The PPB costs should be funded through
another City source and in this situation, the City used the Casino Reserve in the amount of
$288,284 as shown above. In the future, when the City undertakes its next DC background
study, those PPB costs are then moved int DC eligible costs and included in the calculation of
the next DC charge, and the original funding source could then be repaid from DCs.
4.0 Discussion:
The purpose of this report is to award Request for Proposal No. RFP2026-2 for Consulting
Services for Design of a new Animal Shelter & MLES Offices. This consulting work includes
site investigation, design, preparation of construction documents, and construction contract
administration.
4.1 Existing Facility
The existing animal shelter is in a leased space of less than 260 m2 (2,800 sq. ft.), located at
1688 Highway 7 in Brougham and no longer meets current animal welfare standards or
operational needs. The current shelter lacks many required features to effectively serve the
needs of animals, has limited administrative areas to accommodate operational needs, has
insufficient parking, and offers no capacity for expansion. As the facility is leased, renovations
to the facility are limited. The aging facility is comprised of aging infrastructure often requiring
repair.
When designing the new Animal Shelter, staff will be incorporating the Capacity for Care
model. This model is recommended by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and helps
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
Page 4
shelters better meet the needs of animals by creating conditions necessary to provide shelter
animals with the five freedoms. The five freedoms ensure that the welfare of each animal,
including its physical and mental state is improved while in an animal sheltering environment.
The five freedoms include: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom of discomfort; freedom of
pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear and
distress.
The new animal shelter will also meet the guidelines recommended in the Canadian Shelter
Standards of Care for Animal Shelters. The shelter will be built appropriate for the species, the
number of animals receiving care, and the expected length of stay in order to ensure physical
and psychological wellbeing of the animals. The design will provide for proper separation of
animals by health status, age, gender, species, temperament, predator–prey status and
include sufficient space for shelter operations. Areas such as intake, examination, holding,
adoption, isolation, treatment, food storage, general storage, and laundry will all be included.
The current animal shelter was designed as a temporary solution. There is limited space which
restricts the ability to accept surrenders and house animals for longer periods of time without
creating health and safety issues for both staff and animals. The current shelter provides the
ability to house six dogs (with an additional two in the quarantine area) in an appropriate
manner, allowing staff to safely clean the cages by separating the cage with a guillotine door.
When more than six dogs are being housed, this is not possible and this impacts the health of
the dogs and the safety of staff. The dog quarantine area is only able to house two dogs; there
have been times that more than two dogs have needed to be housed which has created an
unsafe situation and the need to find temporary secure housing elsewhere. Dogs housed in
quarantine or that are dangerous do not have access to the outdoor area; the new animal
shelter will provide safe and secure areas for all dogs to have outdoor space without the risk to
staff or the public.
The new facility is being planned to provide housing of 44 cats. In the current facility, the
quarantine, stray, and adoption rooms are not separate and can lead to confusion for potential
adopters. This also risks disease transmission between animals in different stages of their stay
at the shelter. During busy times, cats are placed at satellite adoption facilities or in foster care
due to a lack of space.
Housing of small animals/birds at the current shelter is usually accommodated by placing them
in cages on tables in the general hallway area of the shelter. This does not provide adequate
separation of species, nor does it allow the animals to be free of public interaction. There is
limited ability for enrichment and interaction. The area is not quiet for the animals whenever
there are staff in the shelter, which does not allow them to relax and feel safe. Often small
animals/birds are required to be placed in foster care due to lack of space.
4.2 Facility Needs Assessment
In 2024, the City contracted Animal Arts to complete a facility needs assessment (Attachment
1) for the new animal shelter. The assessment developed and validated the program, scope,
scale and ballpark budget recommendation for a new animal shelter to serve the City of
Pickering.
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
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Animal Arts worked with City staff to determine the facility program that is required in the new
animal shelter. Animal Arts conducted a site visit to the existing facility, conducted staff
interviews, and collaborated with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine team to validate
capacity requirements for the new shelter. The facility study recommends approximately
11,000 gross square feet of interior climate-controlled space and 480 gross square feet of
exterior covered kennel space with an additional area of exterior yard for dog exercise. This
shelter size would accommodate 23 dogs, 44 cats, and 13 small animals.
This facility will support Pickering Animal Services by expanding its available space for service
delivery including sheltering of stray and impounded animals. There is insufficient space in the
existing shelter to offer surrender services to all persons in need of them. Offering surrender
services will reduce the number of animals that are abandoned not only in Pickering but in
near-by municipalities. During the busy seasons, the shelter is often at capacity and does not
allow for the animals in its care to have adequate access to the five freedoms. This also
creates a situation that affects staff’s ability to complete cleaning of cages and enrichment
activities with animals.
Adoptions, animal returns, and stray animal intake are completed in the main area of the
shelter where staff may be cleaning or eating lunch as there is no dedicated separation for
staff workspaces or lunches. There are times that animals may encounter one another due to
the confined space and limited ability to ensure that persons coming into the shelter with
animals are separated by species or temperament. Currently, animal enforcement staff work in
the general shelter area with no access to a private space for phone calls, meetings with
residents or animal owners. These staff are required to leave the shelter to have confidential
phone conversations and do not have adequate office space. Other shelter staff use the
enforcement workstations due to space constraints. The shelter is constrained by space and
layout and does not provide any space for community education. Having a functional shelter
space will allow for more community engagement and public interaction.
The City currently provides shelter services for a fee to Provincial Animal Welfare Service and
the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and assists other municipalities when able to do so. These
partnerships will help to offset operating costs and gradually be scaled back as service
demand increases within the city, ensuring maximum use of the facility’s capacity from the
outset, with priority always being given to the needs of Pickering’s residents and animals. It is
important to be aware that as the City of Pickering grows and develops, there is the increased
need to house more stray, sick, or abandoned animals.
The new shelter is projected to accommodate service demand for the next twenty-five years.
Its design will incorporate leading animal welfare models, including Capacity for Care,
Canadian Shelter Standards of Care, Fear Free Standards of Practice, and Humane Animal
Support Services (HASS) Principles. Proposed features include specialized animal housing,
quarantine and treatment spaces, adoption and education rooms, an enclosed vehicle bay,
freezer facilities, storage areas, and outdoor runs, all aimed at improving animal welfare, staff,
public and animal safety, and customer service.
Office space will be provided for MLES to be located on a second floor. This group is currently
based out of City Hall, which is strained for capacity to accommodate current staffing levels.
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
Page 6
During the summer months when there are additional staff, there are insufficient workstations
which result in staff waiting for an available location. There is limited storage for officer
uniforms and equipment which is required to be stored in a secure manner. There are no
locker facilities or change rooms for officers who may become dirty, have their uniform
damaged, or have been sprayed by a skunk. Further, the confidential nature of the officer’s
duties requires a space where they cannot be overheard or their documents easily viewable.
This is not possible in the current workspace at City Hall. Relocating MLES staff to this new
facility will help by alleviating pressures on existing administrative spaces and allow for future
growth required to maintain current levels of service. Not only will this allow for additional office
space but will free up much needed parking in the underground at City Hall by relocating
MLES fleet vehicles to a secure parking lot at the new facility.
There are currently five MLEO’s, four Parking Control Officers, three part-time Officers and
seven Summer Enforcement Officers sharing eight workstations. Additionally, the three
administrative staff and supervisory/management staff will be relocated to the new facility.
Administrative staff do not have suitable space at the counter to allow more than one person to
assist the public at a time. Having all MLES staff in the new shelter building will allow for
seamless staff collaboration. With the growth in residents and businesses, MLES will need to
add additional staff to keep up the increased workload. The new facility will provide for this
need.
The location of the Animal Shelter and MLES offices will provide a more central location as the
City expands to the north. This will reduce response time for officers and provide a more
accessible location for the public not only to attend the shelter but to receive enforcement and
licensing related services. There are safety challenges with the current Animal Shelter,
specifically due to its remote location and lack of lighting at night. Emergency response is
sometimes delayed due to the current, more remote location.
A purpose-built facility with adequate storage, parking, public and staff spaces will allow the
collaboration between staff in the various sections. It will also reduce the potential for staff and
animal injuries, a major concern with the current shelter space.
The current shelter not only compromises animal care, but it also lacks adequate working
space for staff. By constructing a purpose-built shelter, the City will get adequate space to
house animals and staff. This will not only result in healthier animals and happier staff but will
allow enhanced service provision to the community and partner agencies. The new shelter will
also create additional capacity to house other staff in the area at City Hall currently occupied
by MLES.
4.3 Animal Shelter Site and Design Standards
The permanent shelter will be located on the lands immediately to the west of the Pickering
Fire Station 1 & Headquarters, located at the northwest corner of Zents Drive and Brock Road.
A conceptual sketch showing a possible site layout is included as Attachment 2 (Site Map).
The new Animal Shelter and MLES office site is approximately 3.2 acres and located centrally
for improved public access and service response. Secure parking will be provided for fleet
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
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vehicles used by both Animal Services and MLES staff, and the visiting public. Forested
wetlands located to the west will serve as a natural buffer between the new building and
existing neighbourhoods, while also ensuring a suitably pastoral background setting.
Preliminary concepts have already been reviewed with the Toronto Region and Conservation
Authority (TRCA) to ensure the viability of the site.
The proposed facility is intended to meet the latest Net Zero Carbon - Design Standard (ZCB –
Design) criteria in accordance with the requirements set by the Canada Green Building Council
(CaGBC). Net Zero Carbon Design is an objective of the City’s Corporate Energy Management
Plan (CEMP) and is frequently required to qualify for senior government grant funding
opportunities. Designing new facilities to this standard is essential for achieving environmental
stewardship objectives, such as managing overall greenhouse gas emissions, especially as
the city continues to grow.
4.4 Procurement Process
Request for Proposal No. RFP2026-2 was advertised on the City’s Bids & Tenders portal on
February 11, 2026, and closed on March 16, 2026. Nine proponents submitted proposals. The
evaluation committee, consisting of staff from Community Services and Corporate Services,
reviewed and evaluated the proposals received using criteria outlined in the bid document.
Subject to receipt and approval of all pre-conditions of award required in accordance with the
bid document, the top-ranked proposal submitted by Unity Design Studio Inc. in the amount of
$1,107,149.00 (net HST) or $1,229,440.00 (HST included), is recommended for approval. The
total gross project cost is estimated to be $1,506,999.00 (HST included), and the total net
project cost is estimated at $1,357,099.00 (net of HST rebate).
Attachments:
1. Facility Needs Assessment
2. Site Map
Prepared By:
Dennis Yip, P.Eng., PMP®, CEM, LEED® AP, Manager, Facilities Capital Projects
Vince Plouffe, OAA, MRAIC, Division Head, Facilities Management & Construction
Jason Litoborski, CPSO, Division Head, Municipal Law Enforcement Services
Approved/Endorsed By:
Laura Gibbs, MBA, MSc., Director, Community Services
Paul Bigioni, Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor
CS 11-26 May 4, 2026
Page 8
Cathy Bazinet, CPPB, NIGP-CPP, Manager, Procurement
Stan Karwowski, MBA, CPA, CMA, Director, Finance & Treasurer
LG:vp
Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council By:
Marisa Carpino, M.A.
Chief Administrative Officer
Attachment 1 to Report CS 11-26
City of Pickering, Ontario
Facility Needs Assessment
Final, December 2024
1
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Background Information
3. Workshop Notes
4. Program and Budget Recommendations
5. Materials Narrative
6. Appendix 1: Workshop Presentation
7. Appendix 2: Shelter Best Practices
8. Appendix 3: Functional Program Document (attached under separate cover)
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1. Executive Summary
In 2024, the City of Pickering, a municipal corporation in Ontario, Canada, contracted with
Animal Arts, an animal care consulting firm in Colorado, USA, to assist in developing and
validating a program, scope, scale, and ballpark budget recommendation for a new animal
shelter to serve the City of Pickering and its contract areas.
After conducting the assessment, the recommended minimum size of the Pickering Animal
Shelter is: 10,986 GSF of interior conditioned space
480 GSF of exterior covered kennel space
Additional area of exterior yards for dog exercise
The above size does not include a classroom. A classroom is highly recommended, as it will
allow for outreach, indoor dog play in winter, and most importantly, revenue generation
opportunities for the shelter. With the classroom, the recommended sizes are:
• 12,752 SF of interior
conditioned space
• 480 GSF of exterior covered
kennel space
Additional area of exterior yards for dog exercise
The new animal shelter is programmed to house 23 dogs, 44 cats, and 13 small animals.
The anticipated cost of the project without the classroom, including hard and soft costs, but
not including offsite development costs such as building roads, or land acquisition, is
approximately $13.9 million CAD. This is based on comparable projects in Ontario and nearby
in the USA, in CAD.
Adding the classroom, including the classroom itself, a separate building entrance, an
additional public washroom, and a janitor closet, including hard and soft costs will add
approximately $2.2 million to the project.
We recommend employing local cost estimating services as the project is further developed.
The enclosed report explains the assessment in detail and provides information necessary to
develop a successful animal shelter construction project for the City of Pickering.
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2. Background Information
The City of Pickering Animal Shelter provides animal control services to its citizens, as well as the
citizens of contracted jurisdictions. It provides animal holding, animal quarantine, limited
shelter medical treatment, and animal adoption services. The shelter is operated with best
practice methods as much as is feasible, but the current facility hinders operations because it is
too small in every functional area, and because it is not up to current standards for animal
sheltering.
Animal Arts conducted the needs assessment study using the following methodology:
• Site visit
• Staff interviews
• Presentation of best practices in animal sheltering
• Collaboration with UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine team to validate capacity
requirements for the new shelter
• Development of Program of Spaces and refinement of the program
• Development of Functional Program Document, and refinement
• Ballpark Opinion of Costs based on other current animal shelter projects
• This final report document
The enclosed report and separately attached Functional Program Document shall assist in
guiding further development of the animal shelter plans. This report, as well as the Functional
Program Document, provide the following information:
• Size and numeric requirements for each program area. Please refer to the spreadsheet
program in this report for exact number of animal housing units.
• Functional requirements for each room.
• General material requirements and ventilation requirements.
In addition to the information provided by Animal Arts, the Ontario licensed architecture firm
chosen for this project shall also follow:
• The City’s environmental sustainability requirements
• The City’s facility standards
• Ontario Provincial Building Codes and local laws and regulations
The City of Pickering Animal Shelter is to be placed on a parcel of ground that is already
identified in the City of Pickering. Noise buffering will be required at the property boundary.
Other useful information about animal sheltering best practices may be found on the UC Davis
Koret Shelter Medicine Program website at Koret Shelter Medicine Program.
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3. Workshop Notes
Enclosed are the notes from city and shelter staff stakeholder meetings conducted during the
assessment.
City Staff Planning Meeting
Discuss Concerns Regarding the Current Project Site
• Small space, limited resources currently present.
• Aging facility.
• Quite a number of small animals i.e., rabbits - currently in the lobby.
• Storage is very inadequate.
How Should We Work Together to Make this Project Successful?
• Develop a functional program, equipped with all required spaces.
• Take the individual room requirements and expand within.
• Room data sheets would be helpful.
• All individually established requirements of spaces.
• Functional needs with adjacency requirements.
• Options will be provided by a local architect once the project moves forward.
Needs for Now, and the Future
• Ensure that the building can expand in the future.
• Should absolutely build for a period of, at the very least, 25 years - one generation. The
building will likely be in service for 50+ years.
• Would like the ability to accommodate more animals than they will potentially house, given
ongoing talks with surrounding towns.
• Alternative source of income - If they have space, they will pay for it.
• Whitchurch Stouffville has Protective Custody - animals will stay longer than usual -
currently, unable to do it due to lack of space - would like to provide that service in
the future.
• Effects of Cross-Community Services:
o Can the city step back from sharing animal services if long-term needs cannot be met?
o Due to future population growth, is this connection feasible?
• Contingencies built within contracts - to protect themselves.
Site investigations
• Geotechnically, site is suitable.
• Thirteen-acre property.
• A part for Animal Shelter and a part for Work Depot.
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o Separate entrance and exits.
• Planning and building - more information for constraints and policies.
• Provincial Agreement - may expedite the process - will have more information in February.
• Accessibility – oddly shaped property.
o Adjacent to a major highway - would have its own regulations/code regarding sound
buffers etc. Animals should be housed away from the sound of traffic.
Environment and Sustainability
• Gradually moving towards net-zero design.
• General targets for climate resilience.
• Flexibility is key - at least for the next 25 years.
o For example, larger pad for mechanical in order to be able to expand in the future.
• Utilities at new site are possible!
• On-site electric generation - orientation is good, no tall buildings or adjacency in the near future.
• Roof designed for good output.
• Cannot sell power back to the city - would like capacity for power storage and batteries.
• Sustainable source of edible vegetation for the small animals.
• Outside of nuclear zone, no requirement for emergency planning.
• Green roof may not be feasible - too much need for air handling structures on the roof.
• Wood construction would not be feasible due to fire hazards.
Pickering Design Standards of Office Spaces
• Tasked to create workplace modernization techniques.
• Harder to apply to smaller spaces - cater to a small custom design, as needed.
• Typically, 6.5 feet x 6.5 feet, with standing desks, hot desking etc.
• Open workstation with no built-ins.
• Enforcement Officers – these are required to have an enclosed space.
o Cannot have people hear them or see their work.
o Dedicated space for them at the shelter.
o Privacy concern is a real issue.
o Additional space for the rest of Enforcement Staff to jump on - e.g., printing
services, modernization of vehicles.
Animal and Field Services
• Any specific guidelines? Follow nothing, severely understaffed, looking for new staff.
• Currently, two officers and one officer for summer and several multi-use officers.
• Planning for future growth of the community - would like enough space provided for
adequate staffing.
Can you Provide Other Feedback
6
• Try and exceed standards for accessibility per provincial regulations.
• Facility's maintenance and animal techs:
o Would like more facilities assistance.
o Any space that is classified as an animal room, will be cleaned by staff.
• What are the specialized needs for cleaning at an animal shelter?
• Would like access to mechanical and service spaces with proper stairs, ideally.
o Ladders are fall hazards, especially when multiple things are in-hand.
o Ship-style ladder is okay if a full-size ladder is unfeasible.
• Data room - internal room for software etc.
o Current equivalency for requested technology standards.
o IT team can be invited at some point for their input.
o Away from anything "wet" - i.e., not under any pipes.
Shelter Staff Planning Meetings
What are the priorities for the design of the new shelter?
• Separate Wings for Cats and Dogs
o Existing - mixed common area, animals coming and going, especially in the reception
space - can often get chaotic, especially with adoptions.
o Stress management - separation of smells and sounds, especially between species.
o Separate entry for animals brought in by officers.
• Quarantine Rooms to be Separate
o Separate ventilation.
• Outside Access Doors
o Large quarantine dogs.
o Natural daylighting for quarantine/long-term resident dogs.
• Electrical Access Throughout
o Outlets, preferably counter height.
• Sinks in Animal Care Rooms
• Dedicated Computer Workstation
o Animal care.
• Soundproofing
o Protect cats from excess sounds - especially dog sounds.
o Dog spaces.
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o Also, for humans - sounds make it difficult to hear/focus on tasks at hand, no reprieve
anywhere on site.
• Floor Drains
• Home-Like Atmosphere for Long-Term Cats
o A couple of rooms.
• Windows in Cat Spaces
o Gives cats something to look at.
o Island set-up. Looking away from each other but looking at something.
• Space for Bunnies and Guinea Pigs - Small Animal Room
o Environment where they can be more like themselves.
o Flexibility.
o Storage - small animals often come with many supplies.
o Floor space for rabbits - ability to build enrichment into their environment.
• Private Space for Officers
o Lack of privacy is an issue.
• Indoor Space for Loading/Unloading
o Measures to secure the space - ways to minimize dog escapes.
o Ease of cleaning within the space.
o Pulling in/backing out is okay.
• Multiple hoses
• More storage in reception area
• Keep small dogs contained in working spaces
• Station to bathe dogs
• Laundry and food prep space
• Overall storage and bulk storage
• Nice lunchroom with working appliances
• Separate staff and public washrooms
8
• Cat Housing Needs
o Storage - food, litter, toys, brushes, other paraphernalia.
o Homey environment.
o Quieter doors on housing - stress management.
• Dog Play Area
o Covered/uncovered.
o Length of space to allow for games - fetch, runs, other things dogs like to do.
o Multiple spaces, different types/focuses.
Enforcement Officer Planning Meetings
What are the priorities for the design of the new shelter?
Enclosed Soundproof and Secure Area for Officers
• Currently it can be difficult to communicate on the phone with residents if there are dogs
at the shelter making a lot of noise, or cats crying, or even staff communicating with each
other. We also regularly have staff using our desks, having access to private and sensitive
information. It is also common for residents to enter the shelter and to have access to our
desks and this information as well.
Soundproofing
• It is important that we have proper soundproofing in the shelter not only for the other
animals, but for staff as well. Currently our biggest concern is the quarantine cat room,
which might as well share common area with the dog room as it is incredibly loud. This
causes an extreme amount of stress to the cats in this room, and these cats are typically
under high stress to begin with, or very ill.
Indoor/Outdoor Run for Dogs
• This would be a great addition for quarantine dogs. Dogs in quarantine do not leave a
kennel for 10 days. With the addition of indoor/outdoor runs, these dogs would be able to
at least see sunlight and experience the outside in some way. This should also cut down on
the large amount of stress that some of these dogs are under.
Indoor Garage to Park Work Vehicle
• At the old shelter we had an indoor area for things like dog training, loading dogs and cats
into the van, as well as unloading dogs that are a potential flight risk. This would be a safer
option for animals, as well as staff. With an indoor garage, we can unload dogs that are a
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safety risk much easier. Dogs that are trying to take off would no longer be able to, as they
would be contained indoors while being loaded into the van. We would be able to properly
clean and disinfect the van in the colder months, because at this time any spray is
immediately frozen inside the van making it impossible to clean.
Garage with Adequate Water Supply and Pressure Washer
• There should be a drain so that the vehicles can be washed inside and out with the water
draining rather than pooling in the bay.
Designated Small Animal Room
• Small animals are scattered throughout the shelter. Not only is this unsanitary, but it also
takes up a lot of room in the shelter and looks messy/cluttered.
Access to Multiple Water Outlets/Hoses for Efficient Cleaning of Kennels
Locations for Dead Animal Freezers and Secure Storage of Deceased
Animals Showers and Lockers for Staff.
Additional Workstations for Drop-In of Non-Animal Staff
Wishlist Sent by Shelter Staff under Separate Cover:
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4. Program and Budget Recommendations
Animal Capacity Data
Prior to developing the recommended program for this facility, the City of Pickering worked
with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program to help develop recommended animal
capacity requirements. The UC Davis report should be referenced for detailed analyses.
The UC Davis Report Recommends:
Working in collaboration with the City of Pickering, we recommend including slightly more housing than
recommended by UC Davis, because of the growth in the area, and because of the need to provide
flexibility in the shelter. Therefore, the recommended program of spaces includes the following:
44 23
Cats Dogs
In addition, 13 small animals should be accommodated.
Impact of the City of Ajax, Ontario
One of the questions posed for the needs assessment was whether or not taking on a contract
for the City of Ajax, Ontario, would have significant impact on the recommendations. We
believe that the City of Ajax can be accommodated without increasing the program. The
impact of the City of Ajax is approximately two dog kennels and two cat kennels, at three
weeks length of stay. Shorter lengths of stay would require only one kennel each for dogs and
cats.
Dogs 33 Div 365 0.09 Dogs/Day x LOS 21 = 2 Kennels
Cats 38 Div 365 0.10 Cats/Day x LOS 21 = 2 Cages
Figure 1 - dogs and cats
12
The model includes enough housing to accommodate these additional animals.
Recommended Program
After the workshop, Animal Arts refined the program of required spaces for the animal shelter.
Based on our analysis, we believe that the recommended program described below
encompasses the needs for the City of Pickering Animal Shelter. This program should be
referenced when developing preliminary drawings of the new animal shelter, as it includes
animal housing numbers and other quantity data, as well as a recommendation for the size of
the overall square footage of the animal shelter.
Zone
Room
#
Size
Net SF
Load Gross SF
Ext.
Cov.
GSF
Cats Dogs
Small
Public
Small Animals
Cat Housing
Dog Housing
Animal Support Spaces
Vestibule and Lobby
Reception Desk
Storage/Work Room
Training Room/Storage
Janitor Closet
Public Washrooms
Interview/Meeting Room
Small Animal Runs
Small Animal Shelving
Cat Condos
Cat Isolation + Quarantine
Cat/Nursery Runs
Cat Runs
Dog Runs - Small
Dog Runs - Large
Dog Isolation
Dog Runs Indoor/Outdoor
Outdoor Portion of Run
Dog Quarantine
Outdoor Portion of Run
1
2
1
0
0
3
1
7
1
24
2
3
3
4
10
2
4
4
3
3
20
6
10
30
4
8
14
5
3
2.5
9
5
5
4
5
5
5.5
5.5
6
6
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
30
9
10
40
9
9
20
6
9
5
10
6
6
8
10
10
8
6
8
6
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
600
108
100
0
0
216
280
210
27
300
180
90
90
128
500
100
176
132
144
108
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
1.35
2.50
4.00
3.00
1.35
2.50
2.50
2.50
3.00
3.00
3.00
2.00
3.00
2.00
810
146
135
0
0
292
378
525
108
900
243
225
225
320
1,500
300
528
432
264
216
24
8
6
6
4
10
2
4
3
7
6
13
Laundry/Dishes/Bathing 1 12 x 17 = 204 1.35 275
Food Storage 1 10 x 16 = 160 1.35 216
Bulk Storage
Intake Exam, Treatment
1
1
10
13
x
x
16
16
=
=
160
208
1.35
1.35
216
281
Vehicle Garage 1 19 x 32 = 608 1.05 638
Walk-in Freezer 1 10 x 10 = 100 1.35 135
Staff and Offices
Storage Room - Crates 1
10 x 10 = 100 1.35 135
Supervisor, Animal Services 1 10 x 12 = 120 1.35 162
Shelter Attendants 4 6.5 x 6.5 = 169 1.35 228
Enforcement Officers 6 6.5 x 6.5 = 254 1.35 342
Locker Room 1 10 x 14 = 140 1.35 189
Staff Shower/Washroom 1 8 x 12 = 96 1.35 130
Building Support
Staff Lunchroom 1
15 x 20 = 300 1.35 405
IT room 1 10 x 10 = 100 1.35 135
Electrical Room 1 10 x 16 = 160 1.35 216
Mechanical Room 1
10 x 16 = 160 1.35 216
6,528 Net SF
10,986 GSF Interior
480 Cov. Ext.
44 Cats
23 Dogs
13 Small
A site of approximately three to five usable acres is recommended for this program to allow for
dog walking paths, as well as future expansion.
It should be noted that the above square footage does not currently include space for a
classroom/training room. It is recommended that a training room be included. If we were to
include a training room, we would need to add one more public washroom, an additional
janitor closet, and the 30’ x 40’ classroom itself. The total size of the shelter would increase to
12,752 GSF.
Rationale for Recommending the Program, Including the Classroom
The new animal shelter, including the optional classroom, is recommended because:
• It meets all program requirements for best practice operations.
• It meets necessary animal capacity requirements.
• The current shelter must be replaced.
• The new shelter, including the classroom, will help provide outreach and education,
and other services to help keep pets in homes and reduce the impact of homeless
animals in the City of Pickering over time.
14
Best Practice Recommendations for Design of New Canine Housing
The best practice recommendations, which impact the budget for canine housing in the new building, consider
the realities of today’s animal sheltering in a municipal setting. Dogs are the largest driver of square footage
and budget, which is why a special description is needed.Dog Behavior. Unlike a non-profit organization,
counties and cities are mandated via animal control ordinances to protect and serve the public by impounding
and holding animals. During impounds and holds, the dogs belong to citizens; therefore, the city is obligated to
keep them safe during hold periods.
The average dogs entering municipal animal shelters have become much more challenging in
the last decade, for many reasons including, but not limited to, unstructured breeding, which is
often associated with a lack of access to veterinary care, under-socialization, neglect, etc. These
challenging dogs are rejected from entry by non-profit organizations, unless the non-profit
holds animal control contracts, which is rare. In contrast, challenging dogs regularly occupy
kennels in government-funded animal shelters.
The dogs entering animal control shelters can be challenging. It is the City of Pickering’s
obligation to keep the dogs and staff safe while holding potentially aggressive or anxious
animals. To keep the dogs safely contained, shelter design architects specify industrial-grade
materials, including cementitious-based flooring, heavy-duty bars, full enclosures including run
tops, vandal-proof drains, and pick-proof sealants (as would be used in human correctional
facilities).
To keep staff members safe, we provide large hallways, panic buttons, and other
communication devices in dog housing areas, double compartment runs (where dogs can be
shuttled from one side to another without handling), and good visibility with bright lighting
into dog housing areas.
Example of a high-quality, durable, and safe dog housing environment.
15
Dog Health. Just as dogs enter animal control shelters with a variety of behaviors, they may
also enter with a wide range of health concerns. Abused or neglected animals may be at higher
risk of having infectious diseases. A best practice animal shelter is designed to prevent the
spread of infectious disease, as diseases cost the city many dollars in treatments and staffing
resources, and cause the animals to stay in care longer, and to potentially have fewer positive
outcomes.
Best practices for ventilation, published in The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines
for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, include the following:
• A range of 10-20 air changes per hour of FRESH air. This means that it is not acceptable
to house animals in environments that have anything less than industrial-quality
ventilation equipment.
• A temperature range between 64 and 80 degrees. Un-airconditioned kennels are
unacceptable and can be dangerous to the dogs.
• A humidity range not exceeding 60% RH, after which point, mold will grow (EPA.gov).
Best practices for maintaining a sanitary environment include:
• Highly cleanable finishes.
• No cross-contamination potential from enclosure to enclosure (this is one reason why
we do not recommend continuous trench drains).
• Finishes that do not promote the growth of biofilms.
• High lighting levels, which allow for better visibility of spaces, which is also associated
with better cleaning efficacy.
• Fewer dogs in each housing area, so as to separate dogs with higher risk, and/or to
contain outbreaks.
• Places for handwashing.
• Places for proper sanitization of equipment.
• Rodent and pest control.
• Dedicated isolation spaces, based on typical disease patterns of animals that are
entering the shelter.
Residential or light-commercial grade, poorly ventilated, and/or hard to clean environments,
and environments that are not durable enough to withstand abuse, will not last, and will
become unsafe.
On the next page is a photo example of the surfaces on the exterior of an indoor/outdoor, best-
practice dog enclosure, illustrating cleanable and sanitary environmental conditions and
industrial-grade construction. The purpose of the saloon door is to prevent conditioned air from
escaping to the outdoor environment (energy efficiency), as well as to prevent the intrusion of
mice, rats, and insects.
16
Positive Outcomes in the Shortest Possible Time. All animal control shelters have a certain
reasonable capacity for care. No municipal shelter has unlimited staffing or funding resources
to care for pets.
Therefore, it is essential that the animals do not stay in the shelter longer than necessary. At
the same time, the general public expects and demands that the city does its best to save as
many animal lives as possible. While it may at first seem counterintuitive, these two goals
support each other. The more quickly an animal moves through the shelter, the fewer total
animals are in care, which means that there are more resources available for caring for each
animal, which in turn allows each animal to be as healthy and behaviorally sound as possible,
which then increases each animal’s chance of adoption or placement in a home.
It is essential then that there are physical resources in place to support a short stay, and to
improve the speed of return to owner or adoption (or placement into foster homes). This starts
with best practice operations, which the City of Pickering has, but will be further supported by
the new animal shelter in these ways:
• Healthy and behaviorally appropriate housing (as already described).
• High-quality outside play and exercise areas, where the dogs can run and play, and use
their energy in a positive way, so they can be enriched during their short stay at the
shelter.
• Reducing any inefficiencies that cause dogs to stay longer, including inadequate
cleaning infrastructure and medical support areas.
• A great experience for the human adopter. The best way to do this is to display dogs in a
way that shows them at their best and does not increase fear, anxiety, and stress. Our
clients report to us that allowing the public to see animals without walking directly through
the kennel is very effective at creating a better experience for the humans and the animals.
Below is a photo of an adoption gallery, where a family looks through glass to view
adoptable dogs. This design has been effective at creating a calm and positive environment
17
for all.
Photo example of adopters viewing adoptable dogs from a gallery at Nebraska Humane Society.
Longevity. It is important to recognize that most cities get a chance to fund a new animal
shelter only about every thirty to forty years. A short-term building is never a good idea, as it
costs much more eventually. An animal shelter should be designed for this thirty-to-forty-year
lifespan from its inception. It should be resilient, energy efficient, industrial in quality, highly
durable, sanitary, and welcoming. It must be able to withstand 24-7 use by animals, staff
members, volunteers, and visitors. It must meet or exceed building code requirements. It must
meet today’s standards for animal housing in order to avoid becoming obsolete the moment it
is opened. It must be forward thinking about the problems faced by the shelter today, in order
to be prepared for the future.
Recommended Cost Model
Hard Cost Ballpark
Shelter Construction GSF x 10,986 $900 = $9,887,400 Excludes
Classroom
Exterior Covered GSF x 480 $600 = $288,000
Pricing and Escalation
Contingency
6%
= $10,175,400 $610,524 Subtotal
$10,785,924 Hard Cost CAD
Soft Cost Ballpark
Equipment/Furnishings
Professional
10%
9%
=
=
$1,078,592
$970,733
Owner Contingency 10% = $1,078,592
$3,127,918 Soft Cost CAD
Grand Total $13,913,842 Total CAD
18
The costs above do not include site development costs, as these are to be provided by the
City of Pickering as part of development of the overall campus upon which the animal shelter
is placed.
Additional Option for Recommended Classroom
We recommend adding the classroom, janitor closet, and one additional washroom to the
project. Refer to the room-by-room guideline to see the layout of this proposed area. Based on
increased square footage, associated soft costs and escalations, we believe this addition will
cost approximately an additional $2.2 million.
Budgetary Comparisons and Analyses
The opinion of costs included in this report was developed using shelter comparisons in Canada
and the USA. Emphasis was placed on current projects, which will have the most relevant
pricing, as well as projects in the same province or climate zone.
$/SF Over
Over or or (Under)
Pickering Comp (Under) Calculated Cost
GSF GSF Pickering Comp $/sf Total Model
Cost Model Recommendation 10,986 $900 $10,175,400 $0
Comp 1 - Whitby Ontario
10,986 20,000 (9,014) $700 $7,690,200 ($200)
Comp 2 - Brampton Ontario
Base with Sustainability 10,986 28,000 (17,014) $1,200 $13,183,200 $300
Comp 3 - Hamilton Burlington SPCA
Adjusted to 2025 10,986 52,000 (41,014) $814 $8,946,120 ($86)
Comp 4 - Alberta
Concept Level Budget 10,986 16,000 (5,014) $750 $8,239,500 ($150)
Comp 5 - Pawling, NY
Convert to CAD 10,986 33,650 (22,664) $787 $$8,643,236 ($113)
19
Notes regarding Comparisons in the chart above:
• Whitby, Ontario Animal Shelter comparison is based on a schematic level budget.
• Brampton, Ontario Animal Shelter comparison is on the high side because the site
being developed is without utilities. This tends to increase the cost of the shelter
structure as it will need special features such as greater percentage of on-site power
generation.
• Large projects such as Hamilton Burlington SPCA have greater economy of scale.
Based on these comparisons, we believe the costs allocated for this project are adequate,
although we recommend ongoing cost analysis as the project moves through the design
process.
5. Materials Narrative
The purpose of this document is to assist the local architects of record in understanding the
general basis for materials and systems for the Pickering Animal Shelter. The materials
contained in this narrative are preliminary only, are not finalized, and will be discussed as
normal during future phases of design. They simply establish a basis for quality typical for a
best-practice animal care facility.
Supporting Documents
• Room-by-Room Diagrams (enclosed under separate cover).
General Notes
• Codes and Regulations
o Meet local and provincial codes and regulations.
• General Assumptions
o Fully sprinklered building.
o Non-combustible construction.
o Corridors non-rated.
o Sustainability goals must be reviewed with the City of Pickering.
General Description of Construction by Area
• Site Construction
o Assume construction of new utilities on the project site. The opinion of costs does not
include the assumption of bringing utilities from off site to the project site.
o Provide a standby generator to cover limited building systems.
• Warehouse Construction (if not deferred)
o Pre-engineered metal building, 25’ bays.
o Insulated metal panel exterior skin, with Kynar/hylar finish.
• Barn Construction (if not deferred)
20
o Pole barn.
o Concrete slab floor interior.
o Heating to prevent freezing.
• Primary Building
o Masonry wall construction, slab on grade, metal joist roofs.
o Assume RTUs (the cost estimate likely does not cover the costs of a boiler/chiller
system unless that is taken from the Sustainability Allocation).
o Except at dog rooms and heavy wash down rooms, we assume metal stud construction.
• Construction of Kennel Walls
o Wall between interior hallway and kennel to be 8” nominal cmu block, burnished on
public side, high-performance coating on kennel side, with large, glazed openings.
Interior glazing to be described later in this section.
o Kennel partitions (inside and outside) and exterior wall shall be 4” and 8” nominal cmu
block (respectively). Medium weight, grey block, running bond. 4” partitions shall go to
4’-8” a.f.f. (with prefabricated kennel panels above), and 8” exterior block shall go full
height to structure.
o Block shall be tiled with porcelain tile OR coated with a high-performance coating. Tile
is a good solution and is preferred by our clients for block in contact with dogs, as it
costs less than glazed block, and holds up better than high-performance coated block.
More information about tile systems is provided later in this narrative.
o Exterior side of kennel: Insulation system on block to meet continuous insulation
requirements, cement board, water-proofing membrane, large-format porcelain
cladding up to 6’-8” a.f.f., any other wall finish above to the soffit.
o Photo example of exterior porcelain tile cladding at exterior kennel.
21
Exterior soffits
Prefinished metal.
o Slab on grade: 6” to be assumed for any kennel area and any other cat or rabbit run
room to allow for floor slopes. Outside animal run housing areas, 4” slabs are
acceptable. More information in the concrete section.
Site
• Additional Detailed Information about K9Grass. Include animal yards, with K9Grass
Classic by Foreverlawn, or equivalent product. The product needs careful prep. Below
is the manufacturer’s detail. However, we have discovered that additional aggregate-
7” +/- and possibly an underdrain system is required in damp climates to prevent
odors.
Additional Information About Fencing
o Fencing around dog yards shall be aluminum, pre-finished monumental fencing with
flat top, and alligator pickets at bottom up to 2’. See photo below. In addition, this
fencing needs coyote rollers on top. These are located at coyoteroller.com.
22
Division 3
Cast-in-Place Concrete Slab Design
The following are standards for animal care slabs on grade.
• 0.45 max. water/cement ratio.
• 4,000 psi concrete.
• Rebar reinforcement: #4 bars @ 18” o.c. both directions.
• Class A 15 mil polyolefin vapor barrier, WVTR < 0.009 perm, lapped 6” at seams and turned
up 6” at edges. Basis of design: Stego Wrap 15 mil with Stego Claw Crete tape.
• 6” slabs in all animal areas.
• 4” slabs elsewhere in buildings.
The most important feature of the slabs are the numerous slopes.
Miscellaneous Concrete
• Housekeeping pads for mechanical equipment on slab, as well as commercial laundry machines.
23
Division 6
Interior Architectural Woodwork
The following are typical quality standards for PLAM casework.
• Plastic-laminate cabinets.
o Quality standard: AWI.
o Grade: Custom.
o Horizontal grade.
o Knuckle hinges.
o Flush overlay.
o Edge banding: 1 mm at door/drawer faces.
• Plastic-laminate countertops and sills.
o Quality standard: AWI.
o Horizontal grade.
o Edge treatment: .080 PVC edge.
o PLAM windowsills used in office areas.
• Quartz-surfacing countertops.
o Used on all atrium counters, restroom counters.
o BOD: Silestone by Cosentino.
• Quartz sills used in animal rooms at exterior window openings.
Stainless steel counters with integral sinks for animal areas and stainless shelving.
See Division 11,12. For pricing purposes, kennel counters shall be stainless steel (no lower
cabinets). PLAM cabinets above. In laundry and food prep, use stainless counters and stainless
shelving.
Division 7
Thermal and Moisture Proofing
• Sound batts: Type I, unfaced, glass-fiber blanket to be used for soundattenuation in all
interior stud walls. These walls shall also be sealed for all penetrations, and at top and
bottom.
Light Monitors. Provide allowance for roof monitors in interior rooms without access to
natural light. Assume Kalwall or equivalent.
Other
• Provide high-performance joint sealants for animal areas as follows:
o Saw-cut control joints in concrete floors: BASF Masterseal CR 100.
o Vertical surfaces on walls: Masterseal CR 195.
o Expansion joints at wall/floor transitions: BASF Masterseal CR 195.
24
Division 8
Doors
• FRP doors in aluminum frame to be used in dog housing areas. Example spec: Specalite.
• Aluminum storefront doors and interior windows to be utilized in cat housing rooms and at
exterior entrances. Example spec: Kawneer.
• Galvanized and painted hollow metal doors and frames shall be used wherever storefront
and FRP is not required. Galvanize HM doors and frames in damp locations such as laundry
rooms.
Hardware should be heavy-duty grade. Kick plates are needed on all doors, and armor plates on
hallways, janitor closets, and entrances to kennel rooms, laundry room, euthanasia room, and
sallyport.
Glazing
• Interior glazing
o Clear float glass.
o Temper all glazing, interior and exterior, throughout the facility. This is required because
animal facilities are very prone to issues with broken glass from damage by animals,
impacts by carts, hose sprayers and the like. Laminated glass is unacceptable because it
breaks too easily.
• Interior insulated sound control glazing to be used in dog run room doors and interior
windows and lites. Two lites of tempered glass.
• Exterior glazing to be low-E, impact-resistant, double-glazed.
Division 9
Gypsum Board
• Type “X” 5/8” used throughout except as noted.
• Moisture resistant “green board” in restrooms.
• 5/8” cementitious backer board at interior tiled applications, finished to Level 2 finish prior
to water proofing.
25
Ceilings
• Open to structure ceiling is acceptable in the warehouse storage room.
• Acoustical panel ceiling APC-1 used in people office areas in warehouse.
o High-density, mineral-based acoustical panels with a high NRC.
o .75” Armstrong Ultima, square edge.
• Acoustical panel ceiling APC-2 in all dog areas, including kennels (no exposed ceilings).
o High-density, mineral-based acoustical panels with washable finish and a high NRC:
o Rockfon Medical Plus Ceiling Panel with 0.90 NRC.
• Gypsum ceilings: restrooms.
• Underside of exterior canopies, catios: Aluminum prefinished soffit.
• Architectural wood acoustic ceilings:
o Used as a placeholder for costs in kennel gallery hallway and atrium.
o Basis of design is Armstrong WOODWORKS Linear Solid Wood Panels | Armstrong
Ceiling Solutions – Commercial with NRC of .70.
Example Photo of a wood acoustic ceiling being used in a lobby.
• Aluminum capped suspension systems, to be used throughout due to damp location use.
26
Tiling
• Porcelain wall and floor tiles, used in public gallery, atrium, and restrooms, as well as
on top of kennel cmu in interior of kennel. Wall tiles shall be assumed to go ½ height
in public areas.
o Daltile, mid-price range, through-body porcelain tile. Example spec: Daltile City View,
18x18 field tile.
o Epoxy setting material: Latapoxy 300 Epoxy Setting Material.
o 100% solids epoxy grout: Laticrete 2000 IG for floor tile, Laticrete Spectralock
100% Epoxy Grout for wall tiles.
o Waterproofing and crack isolation membrane to be used at all applications: Laticrete Hydroban.
o Wall tiles: 6’-8” aff high in kennels, 4’-8” aff in public areas and restrooms.
Resinous Flooring (Cementitious Urethane) to be used inside new kennel rooms (interior and exterior).
• Basis of design: Dur-a-Flex Urethane Floor. This is an important consideration, as this
specification costs more than typical epoxy, and is required as basis of quality to
withstand cleaning chemicals used.
• Eight-inch coved resinous base, keyed into cmu walls wherever these occur.
• Resinous flooring keyed into floor drains.
• Requires an in-place mockup.
Sealed ConcreteTo be used throughout warehouse facility, and in new kennel in utility rooms (laundry,
food preparation).
Painting and High-Performance Coatings
• HPC 1 – used everywhere except CMU walls.
o Intermediate-duty application on gypsum substrate.
Sherwin-Williams Builders Solution Primer/Surfacer, A63W100, <100g/l.
o Intermediate Coat
Sherwin-Williams: Pro Industrial Water Based Pre-Catalyzed Epoxy Egg-shel,
K45W1150 Series, <50 g/l.
27
o Topcoat
Sherwin-Williams: Pro Industrial Water Based Pre-Catalyzed Epoxy Egg-shel,
K45W1150 Series, <50 g/l.
• HPC-3
o CMU substrates above tile.
o Two-part, water-based epoxy coating for intermediate-duty applications HPC-3:
Sherwin-Williams: Kem Cati-Coat HS Epoxy Filler/Sealer, B42 Series <250 g/l.
Sherwin-Williams: Pro Industrial Water Based Catalyzed Epoxy Gloss, B73-300
Series, <50 g/l.
Sherwin-Williams: Pro Industrial Water Based Catalyzed Epoxy Gloss, B73-300
Series, <50 g/l.
o High-build polysiloxane coating for heavy-duty applications HPC-3:
Sherwin-Williams: Kem Cati-Coat HS Epoxy Filler/Sealer, B42 Series <250 g/l.
Sherwin-Williams: Sher-Loxane 800 Polysiloxane, B80 Series <100 g/l.
Sherwin-Williams: Sher-Loxane 800 Polysiloxane, B80 Series <100 g/l.
• HPC 4 (used on all exposed ferrous and galvanized metal):
o Sherwin-Williams: Pro-Cryl Universal Acrylic Primer.
o Two coats Sherwin-Williams Acrolon 100 Polyurethane.
Division 10
Wall Protection
• Acrovyn wall protection panel butt jointed (no seam strips) to be provided where
reasonably attractive and highly cleanable wall protection is required, such as ½ inch in
meet and greet rooms.
• Food Prep rooms, janitor closets, etc. and other staff only “utility” type rooms will be
finished with FRP up to ceiling.
• All outside gyp board corners not receiving tile to receive a corner guard or end wall
guard – stainless steel is typical.
28
Division 11
Animal Housing and Other Equipment
• FFE budget for most items including:
o Dog caging and runs.
o Appliances.
o Furnishings.
• Exception: Cost estimator please include a saloon door, installed by contractor,
at each outdoor/indoor kennel. These are $1,100 per door.
Division 12
Food Service Equipment
• All animal areas with food prep rooms, all laundry rooms, and all kennel, and back-of-
house cat rooms will have stainless steel counters, NSF quality, with integral sinks.
Metro Shelving above counter.
Mechanical Ventilation Standards
• See typical standards below for ventilation in an animal care facility.
29
30
31
32
Electrical Narrative
• Outlets. Most will be GFI and/or waterproof in animal areas.
• Lighting in lobby: Architectural quality LED.
• General lighting in office areas: High efficiency 2’x4’ and 2’x2’ recessed direct/indirect LED
troffers. Upper floor workspaces and multipurpose: high-efficiency pendant
direct/indirect LED fixtures.
• Dog kennel and back-of-house animal areas: Lensed damp rated LED 2x2 and 2x4
troffers, all dimmable.
• Warehouse and barn (if not deferred) - strip LED utility fixtures with cages.
• An emergency fixture will be located over each required emergency egress door.
• Foot-candle requirements are very high. Think hospital. Tends to increase lighting budget.
o Utility rooms: 30 foot-candles.
o Office and lobby: 40 foot-candles.
o Animal rooms: 50-60 foot-candles.
END OF MEMO
33
6. Appendix 1: Workshop Presentation
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
7. Appendix 2: Shelter Best Practices
Best practice industry standards are important to analyze and incorporate when designing a
new shelter building. By considering these standards, a new shelter can be right sized and not
overbuilt. An overbuilt shelter costs more to build and operate than necessary. The basics for
best practices for animal care are:
• Hold only when essential, reduce time in care.
o Reduction of mandated holds, if possible.
o Provide in-house medical care to reduce the burden of illness and disease.
o Create a public-friendly building so people want to come to adopt animals.
o Utilize foster care to the greatest extent possible.
o Utilize resources to prevent relinquishments.
• Provide a healthy and sanitary environment:
o For staff.
o For animals.
• Design for easy operations.
Hold Only When Essential, Reduce Time in Care
A shelter is a stressful place for a pet. Therefore, reducing time in care is one of the most
important goals for best-practice animal sheltering. Animal behavior experts explain that two
weeks is about the length of time a dog can stay before it begins to deteriorate behaviorally.
Both dogs and cats are more likely to become ill in the shelter environment the longer they
stay. More information on this topic can be found at www.sheltermedicine.com.
Creating an adoption-friendly facility should be of high priority. This includes having a friendly,
welcoming space for adopters to view adoptable pets. After viewing, one-on-one meet and
greet spaces can be utilized to introduce shelter pets and potential adopters. The Humane
Society of the United States published a manual to help animal shelters design their adoption
programs called Adopters Welcome (https://humanepro.org/page/adopters-welcome-manual).
Adopters Welcome is a research-based set of guidelines that can be very helpful when
considering operational goals for renovations or new builds.
Utilize a foster care program to the greatest extent possible. More pets in foster care means
fewer pets in the shelter; therefore, less housing is needed, and a smaller capacity facility can
be designed.
Utilize resources to prevent relinquishments, such as public spay/neuter programs.
Provide a Healthy and Sanitary Environment
42
The most important aspect of providing for the well-being for shelter pets is to operate the
facility in such a way as to be able to provide humane care for each animal. This includes
strategies to reduce the number of pets in care, but also means constructing and staffing the
shelter such that each animal is housed in an environment that supports its well-being. For
more information about capacity for care, refer to Overview of Capacity for Care (C4C) |
Resources | Koret Shelter Medicine Program.
A healthy and sanitary environment is directly beneficial to shelter pets while supporting staff
during their day-to-day tasks. Laundry rooms, dishwashing, and food prep areas, along with
kennels that are well draining and easy to clean are all crucial infrastructure components for
staff to reduce the time they spend on essential tasks. This then provides more staff time for
animal enrichment and helps meet the goals of capacity for care.
A new animal shelter would typically have better areas for isolation of infectious disease.
Infectious disease increases the risk of euthanasia for the animals in the shelter. Isolation areas
should be dedicated to housing infectious animals and should not be used as overflow healthy
housing. Isolation areas can be designed for proper protocols such as the donning of personal
protective equipment and should be separated by species and type of disease, for safety and
the well-being of dogs and cats.
Create a Fear Free® environment. Fear Free is a movement that provides guidelines to reduce
fear, anxiety, and stress for pets in veterinary hospitals and shelters. Fear Free Sheltering
training is specific to animal shelters, is self-paced, and available online at no charge
(https://fearfreeshelters.com/).
Design for Easy Operations
As described in the previous section, easy-to-operate laundry, dishwashing, and food prep
areas, as well as easy-to-clean kennels, will free up hours per day of staff time. This time can be
better spent on customer service, animal enrichment, and animal placement efforts.
Best practice animal facilities are designed with efficient and safe intake areas. An enclosed
area for unloading transfers prevents animal escapes and increases staff and animal safety.
From the unloading area, animals should be able to be moved safely into intake examination
areas and housing.
Another task that can be very time-consuming for staff is moving dogs from housing into yards
for play. Flow from dog housing areas to yards should be short. Yards can be designed to
separate groups of dogs, or individual dogs depending on the dogs’ behavior and the staffing
or volunteers available to run play group programs. Yards should be partially covered for use
during hot weather and rain. Industry experts recommend daily play for shelter dogs.
On the customer service side of the building, safety and security should be considered in the
43
design. Public areas should be separated from staff areas with secure doors.
Feline Housing, Husbandry and Enrichment
The best practice standards for feline housing are as follows:
• Per the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV), a cage that is appropriately four-to-five-feet long.
• Double compartment for safe handling and cleaning.
• With a variety of enrichment items in the housing.
• Cats housed away from dogs.
• Cats housed to fast track through the shelter.
Cat Portal
The above image shows a cat walking through a portal within their cat cage. This portal
connects two stainless steel cat cages together, which transforms inadequately sized cat cages
to fulfill the four-to-five-foot size requirement and the double-compartment requirement.
These requirements are extremely important to cats because to be happy and healthy they
need at least a three-foot separation between their litter box and their food. Double-
compartment cages allow for food to be on one side, and a litter box to be on the other side.
Additionally, while a staff member cleans one side of the housing, the cat can be on the other
side, which allows for a minimally stressful cleaning experience for all parties involved. Stress is
directly related to the incidence of upper respiratory infections in cats, so by providing
appropriate housing spaces and short lengths of stay, the rate will be reduced or mitigated
altogether.
44
Feline Housing
Another important factor for socialized felines in animal shelters is their ability to socialize with
either staff members, volunteers, or potential adoptees. The above image shows an example of
housing spaces large enough for people to socialize with the cats. The lower portion is frosted
glass which allows for privacy without promoting claustrophobia, while the upper portion is
metal grating which promotes air flow. These rooms are large enough for people and cats to be
together comfortably, which can help the
cats’ mental well-being, along with giving adopters a comfortable space to socialize with and
get to know different felines.
Appropriate double-compartment cages are a requirement for cats in confinement. Ample
space not only reduces stress for the cats and lowers rates of upper respiratory infections as a
result, but compartments with a door between them can be closed so the staff can spot clean
one side of the compartment safely. Spot cleaning is imperative as removing cats from their
enclosure to do a deep disinfection is contraindicated as it is stressful for the cats, removes
familiar scents, and increases risk for the staff. Full sanitation can be done once the cat leaves
the enclosure permanently.
Cats, like people, have a variety of preferences. Some cats may enjoy a free-roam room in the
company of other cats, while others prefer their own double-compartment housing. Options to
behave normally are crucial, so perching options in a free-roam room and hiding spots in both
types of housing are imperative. Some experts recommend only using free-roam rooms for
bonded cats as it may take up to three weeks for the cats to assimilate to one another (and the
industry standard recommendation is less than 14 days in the shelter to their live outcome
opportunity).
All animals in confinement need appropriate enrichment in their environment where they
can behave normally. For cats this includes scratching, interactive toys, and a soft bed. Since
cats are grazers, they should always have access to dry food and the option of canned food
45
twice daily.
Canine Housing, Husbandry, and Enrichment
The best practice standards for canine housing are as follows:
• Most importantly, durable housing.
• Sized appropriately for the dog.
• Double compartment for easy, safe handling and cleaning.
• Access to the out of doors.
• In-kennel enrichments.
• Strategies to reduce length of stay.
Canine Kennel
The above photo shows the interior portion of a double-compartment canine kennel. The
fronts of the kennels have metal grates, which allow the dogs to have ventilation and be aware
of what is going on outside of their kennel. This also allows staff members a view of the
canines, potentially even from another room through an interior window. Another important
aspect of interior housing for canines is cleanability, which involves flooring materials, drains,
and a means to clean. Ideally, non-slip, wet-application flooring is installed, with drains within
the kennels, as well as the hallways (so that each space can be cleaned independently), and
ceiling-mounted hoses for washing down and the application of disinfectant. The ability to clean
is especially important for canines because they are housed on the floor.
46
Outdoor runs, canine kennel
Indoor/outdoor runs are beneficial to canines’ mental well-being and physical health. The
outdoor portions of kennels should ideally be covered by an overhang to protect the canine
from harsh sunlight and rain. There are visual barriers between each dog, but the fronts of the
runs have metal grids which help the dog not feel trapped and promote quality air flow.
Canine Enrichment
Enrichment can be woven in with architecture as seen here. This is a designed, interactive play
yard, but something as simple as a kiddie pool filled with water can bring much joy into a
shelter dog’s stay.
Double-compartment kennels benefit both dogs and people. To easily sanitize the kennel,
which should be done each morning, the staff can sequester the dog on one side and close the
divider door. This is the safest and most efficient for the staff. Fresh food and water can be
provided after the kennel is cleaned, then the dog moves over so the opposite side of the
47
kennel can be sanitized. Dogs should be fed a mixture of consistent quality dry and canned food
twice daily. Food puzzles are another excellent way to provide added enrichment and treats to
occupy dogs while in confinement.
Play groups are an important part of the enrichment program for shelter dogs. Every dog, every
day should have play group time with the exception of those who do not enjoy play groups.
Dogs Playing for Life (dogsplayingforlife.com) and Shelter Playgroup Alliance
(shelterdogsplay.org) are the two organizations offering onsite training. When designing a new
shelter facility, appropriate play yard spaces should always be included.
Natural, free play and exercise are imperative for dogs in confinement. These programs have
proven to lower stress hormones, decrease the length of stay, and increase adoptions
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21862471/,https://dogsplayingforlife.com/2021-impact-
report/).
Many of these programs are run 100 percent by volunteers and they offer the added benefit of
endless opportunities to get social media content of dogs at their best.
Human and canine companionship, in and out of kennel enrichment, and a comfortable, soft
bed to rest are key components of a Fear Free shelter environment for dogs.
8. Appendix 3: Room-by-Room Diagrams (enclosed under separate cover)
Attachment 2 to Report CS 11-26
PAf?T 1, PLi\N 40/i--122518 I
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SITE STATISTICS Pl-•RT 2, PL/•.N 40/?--25842
Pl-•RT 6, FL/..,N 40/?--14541LOT AREA ,;;,eo
518REQUIRED: 3-4 ACRES (12, 140-16, 187 SM) (IBW)
PROVIDED: 3.19 ACRES (12,915 SM)
BUILDING AREA (GROUND GLOOR)
REQUIRED: 11,790 SF
PROVIDED: 11,880 SF
PARKING SPACES
REQUIRED:
-BY-LAW OFFICES 60-63
-ANIMAL SHELTER 10
TOTAL: 73
PROVIDED:
COVERED SHED -15
TOTAL: 99
AR
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(JOB)
CSP 0.40• cvz SIB132.12 (JOB)
PL/•,N 401?--27228
SIB (JOB)
130.22 (TBM)
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SITE PLAN -SKETCH -N.T.S
OPTION 1
JUNE 27, 2025
(information taken from survey prepared by Ivan B. Wallace)
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