A proposal was presented to Pickering Council for a consulting services for design of a new animal shelter and Municipal Law Enforcement Services offices.
The proposal submitted by Unity Design Studio is for $1,107,149.00 (net HST) or $1,229,440.00 (HST included), according to a staff report.
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).
The report recommended that the Director, Finance & Treasurer be authorized to finance the net project cost of $1,357,099.00 (net HST) as follows: the sum of $284,061.00 to be funded from DC Protective Services Development Charges Reserve Fund; the sum of $784,754.00 be funded by a transfer from the Animal Shelter Reserve Fund; and, the sum of $288,284.00 be funded by a transfer from the Casino Reserve; and
That the Director, Community Services be authorized to execute a contract with the above-mentioned consultant pursuant and,
That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the actions necessary to implement the recommendations in this report.
The project is to be located on city-owned lands adjacent to Fire Station 1 and Headquarters, which is at 1700 Zents Drive.
Existing Facility
The existing animal shelter is in a leased space of less than 260 m2 (2,800 sqft), located at 1688 Highway 7 in Brougham and no longer meets current animal welfare standards or operational needs, said a city statement.
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 facility has aging infrastructure often requiring repair.
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.
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.
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. 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 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.
Net Zero Carbon
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).
This move will allow shelters to 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.
44 Cats
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
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