An animal shelter is the physical nucleus of a community animal care and control program and should be constructed, maintained, and operated so that it is attractive and convenient to the community. Above all, an animal shelter must be a place of security and comfort for the animals sheltered there.

A sheltering facility should be built in a central location accessible to the human population being served and should be sited and designed in a way that is welcoming to the public. It should provide a safe and healthy environment for both animals and the people who care for them.

Keep in mind that the pre-construction planning phase is absolutely crucial to building a good animal shelter. The HSUS advises animal care and control agencies to spend as much time as necessary to identify their needs and those of their communities before planning a new facility. Doing so will help achieve the objective of providing a humane, secure environment for animals and avoid costly errors in the process.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) strongly recommends that local architects hired to build a new shelter consult with an architect experienced in successful shelter design. A list of experienced animal shelter architects is available as part of the Shelter Pages Online directory.

The sample floor plans to the right incorporate many essential elements in animal shelter design, but they all have certain limitations. Despite their limitations, the sample plans can be used to show your building committee and architect the variety of approaches to animal shelter design.

Check out the Shelter Design section of the Resource Library.