Langley Times

Township antes up cash for animal shelter

By Monique Tamminga
Times Reporter
Dec 21 2005

Cats will have condos to preen themselves. Dogs will have room to roam.
And once the new Langley Animal Shelter is built, it will be the first of its kind in B.C., putting the Township on the map, said shelter manager Sean Baker.
"The shelter we're creating will be a model for other communities to follow," said Baker, who is visibly excited about the project.
The Township ended its contract with the SPCA more than a year ago, taking over animal control and care at the Township-owned land at 26220 56 Ave., the former site of Hyline Kennels.
The new $1.7 million shelter will house dogs in big, open rooms and cats in condos, while allowing for a vet room and staff offices.
"Many of the rooms will be multi-use, like the vet room will also act as a consultation room and our dog assessment room," Baker said.
The 10,000 sq. ft. building is expected to be complete at the end of 2006.
Currently, the shelter is working out of a former kennel facility with Baker using a trailer on the site. Until recently the trailer was also home to incoming sick kittens.
When the new shelter is complete there will be 30 to 34 kennels for dogs. There is currently 20. In August, the shelter was so full, kennels had to be doubled up and some dogs spent entire nights outside in the runs.
But Baker is most excited about the new style of kennel the dogs will be given.
"The kennels will be glass which means no more looking into a kennel that looks like a jail cell," he said. "The rooms will be big enough for a bed for the dog and a chair for visitors. That means people can go right in, sit down and spend some time getting to know the dog."
The dogs will still have indoor and outdoor access and the play yards will be increased from seven to 12 with the huge play area staying, but maybe split into two. Because there property offers so much space, the now acreage has plenty of room for the dogs to run all day long. Langley Environmental Partners Society created a trail system in the back that volunteer dog walkers can use to exercise the dogs.
There will be new cat condos for the felines too, offering indoor and outdoor access for them. There will also be a communal space for them to socialize and an area where prospective adoptees can spend one-on-one time with cats.
The cat cottage on the property will stay, but will most likely be used for feral cats only. Currently it houses both feral and adoptable cats.
Currently, the stray intake area is also the receptionists desk, which means initial assessments of canines are done in the area where visitors first walk in.
There will also be a completely separate area for dangerous dogs and a garage for the vans to drive into when they've picked up a stray.
"These type of designs are seen in the States more than in Canada," he said.
"There will be tons of natural light and skylights. We are most likely going with geo-thermal heating using the existing well and an old well on the property."
Engineers were on site this week.
In August, Township council approved funding over two years for the building.
"We received $500,000 for 2005," he said.
That money will go to bringing in municipal water, a new septic field, widening of the driveway and paving a portion of it, among many other property upgrades.
Council approved funding for $1,129,568 in the 2006 capital budget to complete the project.
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