Sunday, June 22, 2008

Dallas Animal Services to be featured on Sundance Channel

"Big Ideas for a Small Planet" documentary series will air June 24

By Pegasus News wire

DALLAS — The Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center will be featured on Sundance Channel’s original series “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” in the episode “Animals” airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 24. Animals don’t generate carbon emissions, but having furry friends living among us is not without ecological impact. From zoos to shelters to pampered pets, this episode will explore how animals’ diets and living environments are increasingly reflecting the “green-ness” of their human guardians.

The City of Dallas opened its 52,000-square-foot Animal Services and Adoption Center on Oct. 20, 2007. The facility is a green building, meaning it conforms to criteria for LEED Silver Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council. For example, 50 percent of the building material costs were derived from recycled content, and 50 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from the landfill.

“The City replaced its old facilities with a new state-of-the-art environmentally friendly shelter,” said Paul Curington, operations manager for the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center. “It’s definitely the shelter of the future; it’s the shelter of the millennium.”

Six large planters located in the parking lot house the cells that are part of a wastewater treatment system to clean and re-use up to 10,000 gallons of water a day. Bathroom fixtures are controlled by sensors which minimize water use and waste. Energy for the system is generated by a wind turbine at the north end of the row of planters.

This will double as an outdoor sculpture, adding a touch of whimsy to the surroundings. Other green features include extensive use of natural lighting throughout the shelter and a program that controls the use of light based on outside conditions.

The health and safety of animals and staff was an important consideration in the shelter’s design; thus the building’s unique layout that controls and minimizes cross-contamination of disease through isolation pockets and the way animals are segregated. The building’s air filtration systems also play a significant health and safety role by replacing the air throughout the facility every 10 minutes.

Source: City of Dallas

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Comments

DC Anonymous

Sad we need this and still have debates about the spay and neuter law.

3 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )