The new Animal Center includes a public meeting area, interactive educational program areas, a full veterinary and medical center, a separate lost and found component, and numerous holding areas for animal segregation. This facility is fulfilling a great need throughout Knoxville and Knox County and even some surrounding counties for the care and attention given to the animals and the visitors.
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The new Young-Williams Animal Center at 3201 Division Street off Sutherland Avenue serves both Knoxville and Knox County. A detention basin has been constructed as an attractive wetland area, which allows water runoff from the site to be filtered and cleaned before it leaves the site. The center also shares parking lots with the Knox County Recreation Department. The front entry is to the right, and the dog runs are at left. The dog runs are another innovative design that provides the animals with a safe place to exercise and play outdoors.
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The front entry is well marked with pedestrian-scaled lighting and very visible signs that provide direction to visitors. The pedestrian walkway (at lower right) is marked by a change from asphalt to brick, and links another parking lot to the center. |
The view from the building towards Sutherland Avenue is pleasing to both the visitors and employees of the center because of the appropriate landscaping and maintenance of the facility. |
On the right side of the building from the front entry is a separate entry for the relinquishment/lost and found component of the center. There is specified parking for this use as well, so that people dropping off pets can easily move from their vehicles to the building without interacting with other pets. This separation also benefits newly-arriving animals experiencing the stress of changing environments.
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Funding for special features, such as the unique lobby and community meeting rooms, was raised through donations and a memorial brick project pictured here. |
The lobby of the Animal Center is innovative as well as aesthetically pleasing. The materials used in constructing this project were chosen to be compatible with the use – for example, the lobby floor is made of tinted, polished concrete which is easily cleaned and won’t show stains.
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Government money was used solely for required elements of the center–the kennels, the drainage and ventilation requirements, and the medical examining room. This picture shows how the facility was designed so that children could interact with the animals while providing safety for both. |
Another innovative design is the separate pet rooms which reduce the amount of disease spread and allow people to interact with an animal on a one-to-one basis. There is even a room designated in the lobby for the “Pet of the Week.”
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Modular kitty condos can be configured to allow the animals to roam from area to area and satisfy their need for exercise as well as their natural curiosity. Individual sections can be closed to confine the animals when necessary.
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