Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, has been granted planning permission to build a state of the art Rehoming Centre in Leicestershire as part of its network of 18 centres across the UK and one in Dublin.
To reduce running costs and its carbon ‘pawprint’ the charity aims to build the most environmentally sustainable animal rescue centre in the world.
The new centre, to be called “Dogs Trust Loughborough”, will be built on 14 acres of old farmland, previously used for intensive pig farming.
Dogs Trust Property Director, Matthew Taylor, said: “Our desire is to design our buildings with the emphasis on reducing, as far as possible, the energy demands that these new Rehoming Centres require, through mass insulation, improved air tightness and natural ventilation systems.
“The remaining demand for energy will be met through appropriately designed and sourced renewables.”
These appropriate forms of renewables will include a biomass boiler, green roofs, under-floor heating, solar thermal panels, photovotaic panels and a rainwater recycling system. The project will be constructed with the aim to achieve BREEAM (BRE Environment Assessment Method) outstanding classification and the highest levels of sustainability. Other features include:
• 64 rehoming, intake and puppy kennels (all angled and glass-fronted)
• Under-floor heating for all kennels
• Dedicated Training and Rehabilitation Centres
• Sanctuary facility for up to 36 dogs that prefer canine company
• On-site accommodation for three Managers
• “Real life” behaviour suite to get the dogs used to household items
• Vet Suite
• Exercise paddocks and runs
• Training barn
• Grooming suite
The project will be overseen by Dogs Trust’s in-house team of Property Director, Matthew Taylor, and Project Surveyor, Paul Wass. McPhillips have been appointed as Building contractor with Peter Napier as chief Designer. The charity has also employed Sustainability Adviser, Dr David Strong and Inbuilt as BREEAM assessors.
The new Rehoming Centre will be able to look after around 135 dogs at any one time and will also create 25 new jobs ranging from Managers, Canine Carers, Training and Behaviour staff and maintenance staff. The Centre has already employed a full time Education Officer who is visiting schools across the East Midlands to teach children about safety around dogs and the importance of responsible dog ownership.
The sustainable design of the structure of the buildings and the use of renewable forms of energy will reduce the energy consumption of the Centre by at least 30% compared to other similar sized Rehoming Centres.
Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, says: “We are so thrilled to announce plans for our nineteenth Rehoming Centre. Last year there were 21,000 stray dogs in the Central region alone – with over 700 of those being destroyed because their owners could not be traced or new homes found for them.
We never put a healthy dog to sleep and this new Centre will help us find new homes for 1,000 more rescue dogs a year.”
The Centre is based at a former pig farm in Wymeswold, Leicestershire. Demolition work on the former pig farm buildings will begin this winter, with building work starting in Spring 2011. Dogs Trust Loughborough is scheduled to open in Spring 2012.
Ken Storrs, Perth. Australia around 12 months ago