The long-awaited Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center officially opens for business Saturday, Oct. 20. The new, 52,000-square-foot facility is located at 1818 N. Westmoreland Rd. at I-30. City officials and Dallas Animal Services staff will mark the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. , followed by a day of celebration featuring animal adoptions and family-friendly activities. Kids will enjoy games, crafts, coloring, face-painting and much more. Grown-ups will get to talk with local experts, including a top dog trainer, a cat behaviorist, and even an American Red Cross officer with first-aid advice for pet owners. All events will be open to the public.
Dallas Animal Services is consolidating all its shelter and field operations at the new facility, including animal adoptions, impoundments, redemptions, registrations and rescue functions. The new building has a total capacity of almost 800 cats and dogs, including the adoption area and all holding areas – compared with a combined capacity of about 400 provided by the two shelters it replaces. The adoption area can house about 90 adult dogs and about 65 cats, with the number of kittens and puppies varying. Additionally, there are 12 “get acquainted” rooms that allow a family to spread out and interact with a prospective pet.
The new facility is designed as a “green” building. For example, 50 per cent of the building materials, by cost, were derived from recycled content, and 50 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from adding to landfill. Other “green” features will be more apparent to visitors, such as the extensive use of natural lighting inside the building. Also, six large planters located in the public parking lot actually house the cells that are part of a wastewater treatment system that will clean and re-use up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. The energy for the system will be generated by a wind turbine that will later be located at the north end of the row of planters. This also will have a double function as an outdoor sculpture, adding a touch of whimsy to the surroundings
