COA Kennel Q

City of Albuquerque Eastside Animal Shelter Kennel Q Renovation

Albuquerque, NM

Over the years, a number of buildings at Albuquerque‘s Eastside Animal Shelter had been upgraded to maintain health conditions and promote animal adoptions. But, Kennel D, at the back of the campus, remained as it was when it was built forty years ago. To further compound the stigma of the building, dogs that were designated as ‘non-adoptable’ were relegated to Kennel D, meaning that families looking for a new furry family member rarely went to Kennel D.

The 4,900sf warehouse-like building housed nearly 80 animals in chain-link enclosures. The city’s primary goals for renovation were to improve the safety and health of the animals, and to enhance the image of the building. The improvements would then draw guests toward the back of the campus, to ultimately increase pet adoptions.

As a part of the renovation, new stainless steel panels were installed for the interior and exterior runs. Dog-friendly, green and blue gates give the kennel’s interior a new personality. Old evaporative coolers were replaced with specialized HVAC equipment to provide an abundance of fresh air to reduce air-borne canine diseases. A fire-sprinkler system was installed as a safety measure for the animals in the building. New tile flooring covered the cracked and porous exposed concrete slab for a fresh and sanitary surface. For added comfort, portions of the existing concrete slab were removed to install a radiant heat system to warm the doggies in cold months.

The renovation of the building was punctuated with a name change to Kennel ‘Q’, posthumously honoring a tireless shelter volunteer and animal advocate, Terrie Q. Sayre.