New Shelter

Frequently Asked Questions​


George Miers and Associates (Swatt/Miers), a design firm that works with the Humane Society of the United States, is world-renowned for designing state-of-the-art animal shelters with completed shelters in Reno and Santa Clara.

The shelter is located on seven acres of land at 3839 Bradshaw Road. Five acres are being used for the facility grounds with two acres to be used for a public dog park. The main building is about 39,000 square feet, the clinic is about 3,400 square feet and the barn is about 1,800 square feet.

Animal Shelter under construction

​The total cost was $23,740,000 with final costs expected to be around $22,900,000. Because the shelter was ​built to LEED standards, it will save thousands of dollars in future energy and operation costs. 

The cost includes design, programming, and demolition and clean-up of the old site.

Several sites were reviewed, including one at Mather that was too costly due to lack of utilities and another on Old Placerville Road that was dismissed due to issues that constrained the design of the facility.

The Bradshaw site was selected for several reasons:

  • ​The 7-acre site was already owned by the County, which saved thousands of dollars in land acquisition, construction costs and permitting.
  • Easy access from Highway 50 for animal officers and the public.
  • The seven acres allowed enough room for a public dog park constructed in partnership with the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks.

Animal Housing Areas 

Habitat RoomsThe facility provides a variety of animal housing areas from indoor/outdoor dog kennels to individual cat condos. Adoptable animals live in large habitat rooms with viewing windows. These habitat rooms showcase the animals in a relaxed setting, reducing their stress levels and increasing adoptions.
The facility also has several behavior evaluation rooms, where animals are quietly and calmly evaluated for proper adoption placement. These new animal housing areas and habitat rooms meet the guidelines for theAmerican Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA) Community Initiatives, a national grant program designed to improve U.S. regional adoption rates, of which the animal shelter is an area partner.
The facility is equipped with an advanced automatic cleaning system to ensure proper sanitation of animal holding areas.
The Adoption Gallery area contains 13 cat habitat rooms and 12 dog habitat rooms ranging in size from 5 feet up to 20 feet. Rooms have furniture for animals to relax on and explore while being visible at all times to facility visitors.
The new barn located at the back of the facility has eight stalls with outside corrals, a large pasture area and is equipped with hot water and lights.

The Public Dog Park - "The Bark Park"Entrance to dog park area

We are the first municipal shelter in the nation to have a dog park on our grounds. Located at the front of the facility, the park totals two acres, with separate areas for large and small dogs, and is equipped with doggy drinking fountains. The park was constructed in partnership with grant money from the County Department of Regional Parks. The park celebrated its grand opening on April 24, 2010, and is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until dusk.

All dogs using the Bark Park must be current on their vaccinations, spayed or neutered, licensed and on their best behavior. Learn more about the Bark Park...

The County wants to provide a safe, free place for responsible dog owners to play with their dogs' off-leash. Sacramento County Code Title 8 references leash laws that state that dogs must be on a leash at all times unless they are in a designated area, and currently there are few dog parks in the region. By providing a dog park, we are encouraging dog owners to follow existing leash laws by providing a location they can allow their dogs off-leash to get plenty of exercise, and where they can meet and socialize with other dog owners.

For Staff and Volunteers 

Volunteers are provided with their own work area and a public counter where they can provide assistance with adoptions and other valuable facility services. Learn how to get involved today! 

The new facility includes a large, multi-purpose auditorium with audio/visual equipment and an outdoor patio area. This auditorium will be used for:

  • Dog training classes
  • Volunteer training
  • Public meetings
  • Public events and fundraisers
  • Available for facility rental
There is a large loading dock with an enclosed area at the back of the facility where animal control officers can unload animals in a private area to help reduce animal and officer stress. Once the animals arrive, they are entered into our computer system with a photo and additional information and will be posted on the shelter's website immediately.

Improvements in Efficiency and Operations

LEED certification - This is the first completed County building to be LEED certified. Several of the more prominent Title 24 requirements included in the shelter's design and construction are:       

  • Every room has a window that can be opened. Windows serve two purposes: 1) They let in natural light that reduces electricity uses and, 2) When opened, they let in fresh air for natural temperature control.
  • All the landscaping was done with plants that grow slow and need little maintenance and water. The landscaping was done by the Regional Parks Department landscaping specialists.
  • A retention pond is located behind the barn to control barn runoff.
  • Special parking spots are available for low-emission vehicles. The parking lot was also designed with fewer parking spots to encourage the staff to carpool or use alternate transportation.
  • Showers are available on premises to encourage staff to bike to work.
  • Over 75 percent of waste material generated during construction was recycled.
  • Approximately ten percent of the materials used contained recycled materials
  • View more detailed information about the facility's LEED certification...
Rain Garden at the new Animal Care Facility

​​Rain Gardens: Green Alternative to Traditional Landscapes - Located at the front of the shelter, the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources designed and planted a rain garden that serves to collect rain water. Rain gardens are shallow, landscaped depressions that capture rain water from roofs and the pavement, and should ideally be located under the downspout of a property and at least 10 feet away from a building foundation. Rain Gardens are designed to keep rain water in the garden where it is needed and to absorb stormwater runoff, including loose dirt, fertilizers and pesticides from the roof and the lawn. Learn more about Rain Gardens and how to plant your o​wn at https://www.beriverfriendly.net/​.

County ordinances mandate that two percent of a total project budget be allocated for Art in Public Places, a nationally recognized program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Art Commission, established in 1977.

Local artists were selected to design several pieces of art emphasizing the themes of caring for the environment and respecting animals and nature. These themes are consistent with the County's commitment to smart planning, preservation of open space, "green" County facility design and the goal of increasing the adoption rates.  

Dayton Claudio's "Rain Catcher" in the courtyard captures rain and cycles the water down for landscaping. Another sculpture, entitled "Broken Circle", depicts a series of sculpted dogs running in a circle at the front of the shelter. It symbolizes the movement and life cycle of animals. The total cost of these sculptures was $92,500.

Totem at Animal shelter facility

Lisa Deinz's "Honor the Animal...Honor Ourselves...Honor the Environment," is a series of five totem poles placed along Bradshaw Road. These totems reflect an animal's natural rhythms and life cycle and the animal's natural skills and abilities. The total cost for this project was $139,000. 

In addition to the major sculpture, additional artwork has been incorporated throughout the shelter to create a more contemporary and inviting environment for our shelter guests.


The total art budget was $295,000. These funds were allocated in 2006 from the 2005 Tobacco Litigation Settlement Refunding Bond Proceeds.Broken Circle Artwork​

Unfortunately, we doubt there will be a problem filling our facility with animals. Pet over-population continues to be a serious problem for many reasons. Although County ordinances prohibit keeping an intact animal without an intact animal license, it is difficult to catch offenders. Additionally, many people still are unaware of the need to alter their cats. We rely on the public to help us enforce the rules and encourage their friends and neighbors to spay/neuter their pets.

We use a multi-pronged approach to achieving public compliance with spay/neuter regulations, including mandatory licensing requirements and a low-cost spay and neuter voucher program. No animal may be adopted from our shelter without being spayed or neutered.

A separate spay/neuter clinic has been constructed that is operated by the Sacramento Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and is expected to perform over 5000 surgeries a year. The clinic opened in February 2010.

A program analysis was performed by the County prior to construction to determine the needed size of the facility. We believe projected growth trends in resident population over the next 30-50 years will require a facility of this size.

Our old facility was more than 40 years old and was built in a time when shelters functioned simply as "dog pounds" and were designed only to impound animals for a short amount of time to protect the public from rabies. Cats that were brought in were immediately euthanized and dogs were rarely adopted out. At the time, animal care staff didn't have the ability or the room to spend time attempting to locate current or potential pet owners.

Patio

Due to federal and state legislation, and changing community values, including anti-abuse and neglect laws, community mandates require that shelters  expand their services, including adoption, spay and neuter, and animal cruelty investigations.

Additionally, many of the old building systems were inefficient and clunky, and tended to break down frequently, resulting in high maintenance and operation costs. It was obvious that a new facility would save money in the long run and planning had been in the works for years. The new project was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 1995, many years before the current economic decline and the County budget crisis.

Our new operation offers many opportunities that were not possible at the old facility, including a free public dog park, large open and spacious animal visiting rooms, visitor-friendly facilities and a retail pet supply store. We believe that these additions will foster a sense of community ownership and provide a welcome environment that will translate into increased volunteerism, greater community visibility, increased revenue opportunities and adoption rates and reduced euthanasia rates.

It has a holding capacity that is flexible and can adjust with seasonal changes in shelter population. Each of the 318 flexible living spaces for cats and dogs can hold one to six animals depending on the size of the animal and allows room for up to 1000 animals to stay in the facility. We also have special areas for bunnies, small rodents, exotic animals and livestock. By comparison, the old facility could only hold approximately 414 animals.

A majority of the ​funds allocated for the shelter came from unique sources, including grants and special funds that could only be spent on this particular project and funds that could not be used or added to the County General Fund. For example, funds spent on facility construction could not and were not used to prevent layoffs and the Department of Animal Care and Regulation.

​​Have a question? Let us know... ​