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Frequently Asked Questions About the New Animal Shelter

Why are you building a new shelter?
Our current facility is over 40 years old and was built when the purpose of the "dog pound" was merely to protect the public from rabies and control stray animals. Since then, because of legislation and changing community values, the scope of our work has broadened. The building no longer meets our needs or the needs of the communities we serve.

Additionally, because the current building is old, the systems are inefficient and frequently break down, resulting in high maintenance and operation costs.

When will the new shelter open?
The process of building a new public building requires careful long-term planning and can be arduous. The building is in the design stage now with completion scheduled for late 2008. 

Why are you considering putting art into an animal shelter?
City and County ordinances require 2% of the construction budget of public projects to be allocated for Art in Public Places. Established in 1977, this is a nationally recognized  program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. To learn more, click here.

Why did you choose George Miers and Associates to design the building?
This design firm works with the Humane Society of the United States and is world-renowned for state-of- the-art animal shelters, recently completing the new shelters in Reno and Santa Clara.

Why are you considering a public dog park in the front of shelter?
We want the new facility to be more that a shelter for homeless animals; we envision a resource for all animal issues including education, training and socialization, and a place to celebrate the bond between animals and humans. A dog park is a visible example of this bond.

By providing this valuable public resource we hope to encourage residents to visit our shelter when they are looking for a new pet, volunteer and donate, and get involved with the Sacramento shelter community. 

Will there be glass doors on the cat kennels?
Yes, the fronts of the cat kennels will be glass or Plexiglas to protect against the transfer of upper respiratory infections.

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