Conceptual Renderings of New Animal Shelter by Todd Edmonds, HSE Architects

PAWS in MAPS 4 News
Animal Shelter, MAPS 4 Advance After Landslide Vote
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City voters shattered records for approval of a MAPS initiative with 72% voting in favor of MAPS 4. The measure includes $38 million in funding for a new animal shelter, among…
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Volunteers Sought for MAPS 4 Citizen Advisory Board and Subcommittees
OKLAHOMA CITY—Mayor David Holt and the Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to establish the MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board and six subcommittees to guide the transformational MAPS 4 program. “Citizen oversight of MAPS has been a big reason for its…
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Not your mother’s animal shelter
After decades of innovation, sheltering has progressed far beyond its ‘dog pound’ roots By Bethany Wynn Adams Animal Sheltering magazine “Pound” was once an innocuous word. In the 18th century, towns held wandering farm animals in stone…
Read MoreAbout PAWS in MAPS 4
PAWS (Project Animal Welfare Shelter) in MAPS 4 is a group of passionate animal lovers and citizens united with the goal of building a new animal shelter for Oklahoma City.

We Believe
- Overall quality of life and animal well-being are directly related to one another.
- Great cities have a great infrastructure for animals.
- A transformational animal shelter has a positive domino effect on attracting talented individuals and their families to the city.
- Great cities create a strong sense of belonging for residents and their animals.
- Everyone is welcome in this endeavor, to participate in the way that is best for them.
Need To Know
- Shelters are uncommonly expensive buildings. Huge amounts of drainage, and air-handling systems. What are the two most-expensive rooms in a house? Kitchens and bathrooms. An animal shelter really is a series of rooms that serve as kitchens and bathrooms.
- $500 to $600 per square foot is not uncommon.
- Most common mistakes in design of shelters is lack of adequate storage space and lack of office space.
- Recommend that a local architect be the architect of record, with an architect who specializes in shelters as a design consultant.
- Dog and cat spaces should be separated by needs for isolation, quarantine and public-access adoption areas.
- Sound containment / sound deadening must be a priority for dog areas.
- Flooring must be non-permeable and drains in all animal-care areas. Monolithic epoxy-resin poured floors or other similar non-permeable industrial-grade flooring for much of the shelter. High-quality vinyl flooring, acrylics, and other flooring also possible.
- Extensive air handling systems must be a priority in order to keep animal population healthy. Consider the use of HEPA filters, electrostatic filters, charcoal filters and UV filters where appropriate.
- Location, landscaping, and welcoming nature of the building will determine adoption rates and the likelihood of volunteers to help with routine duties.
- The more the building is inviting and welcoming to the public, the greater the chances are of high adoption rates and tax-payer satisfaction.
- Consider one public entrance for those turning in animals and another nearby entrance for those visiting the shelter without an animal. Keep animal-surrender area separate from general visitation area.
- Two-story shelters are fine, but keep animals on entry-level floor with admin on second floor.
- There will be strong need for outdoor fencing to contain escaped animals, to provide outdoor play areas, to allow visitors to meet animals outdoors, etc. Six to eight-foot fencing.
Watch the 2019 PAWS for MAPS 4 Public Education Video that helped get this initiative passed.
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