BC SPCA: BC SPCA and District of Maple Ridge begin construction on B.C.'s first "green" animal centre

BC SPCA and District of Maple Ridge begin construction on B.C.'s first "green" animal centre

April 6, 2010

The BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the District of Maple Ridge held a groundbreaking ceremony today to mark the start of construction on a new state-of-the-art community animal centre in Maple Ridge. The facility, designed by Meiklejohn Architects of Kelowna, will include some of North America's most progressive animal welfare design features and will be B.C.'s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited animal shelter. The LEED rating system promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in the areas of sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. General contractor for the project is J. Floris Construction Limited.

"We are extremely excited to be partnering with the District of Maple Ridge on this facility, which we hope to open by the end of 2010," said Craig Daniell, chief executive officer for the BC SPCA. The new community animal centre will be built on the site of the District's existing animal shelter at 10235 Jackson Rd., with the District and the BC SPCA each providing approximately $1.87 million toward the project. The BC SPCA will also purchase a half interest in the land.

"The new centre will provide the highest level of service for abused, homeless, injured, neglected and lost animals," said Daniell. Last year, the not-for-profit animal protection society cared for nearly 37,000 animals in B.C., including 1,358 in the District of Maple Ridge. In addition to providing animal control services for the District, the BC SPCA will offer a wide range of other services for animals in Maple Ridge and surrounding regions through the new facility, including cruelty investigations, humane education programs for youth and adults, advocacy campaigns to address animal welfare issues, low-cost spay/neuter programs and more.

"The SPCA is an important partner of the District of Maple Ridge, providing a key service for our residents, their pets and other animals in the community," said Mayor Ernie Daykin. "We are pleased that we will soon have a state-of-the-art animal shelter where SPCA staff and dedicated volunteers can work in comfortable quarters giving the love and attention that our animal friends deserve."

Daniell said the new facility will be approximately 6,500 square feet, incorporating modern animal welfare designs such as shared "apartments" for dogs to increase socialization, communal indoor-outdoor areas for cats, designated areas for temperament and behaviour assessments, a sophisticated ventilation system to reduce the spread of airborne disease, and a large multi-purpose room that can be used for training, education and other community uses.

"Both the District and the SPCA are also very keen to have a strong focus on volunteer involvement so our plans will include space and programming to promote and develop volunteer opportunities."

The District will continue to provide property adjacent to the new BC SPCA-District community animal centre for Katie's Place, a private cat rescue group which currently operates a small facility on the District's existing shelter site.

Daniell said the project ushers in a new era of animal welfare in Maple Ridge and will provide a model for other sustainable shelters. "This is a leap forward for animal welfare in this region, but the new facility will only be a success if the community gets behind it. As a charity, the BC SPCA relies on community support for funding so we hope supporters in the region will help us reach out to as many homeless and abused animals as possible."

For more information, visit our Maple Ridge Capital Campaign information page or read the full press release.

To pledge your support for the Maple Ridge Capital Campaign, please donate today.

Photo Caption: Mayor Ernie Daykin, BC SPCA volunteer president Marguerite Vogel and BC SPCA CEO Craig Daniell at groundbreaking ceremony.

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.