America's Greenest Animal Shelters

A number of animal shelters across the country have been built or redesigned as eco-friendly buildings. Petside applauds these shelters for protecting both animals and the planet!

Help homeless pets and the earth by donating to one of these organizations, or talk to your local animal adoption center about going green too.

Noah's Ark Animal Foundation Fairfield, Iowa

Noah's Ark Shelter is a gleaming example of combining eco-friendliness and comfort for animals.

The building was designed to be energy-efficient and utilizes many green technologies including solar panels, high-efficiency appliances, low energy lighting, and non-toxic construction materials. Noah's Ark also uses a unique wetlands septic system that treats waste water while creating a natural, safe environment for surrounding plants and wildlife.

Learn more about Noah's Ark Animal Foundation here: http://www.noahsark.org/

Dorothy Park Pet Adoption Center Ithaca, New York

The Dorothy Park Pet Adoption Center was the nation's first animal shelter certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines. The center was built with energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability in mind.

A few of the shelter's eco-friendly features include geothermal heating and cooling, recycled building materials, Energy-star rated roofing, and natural lighting and ventilation.

Learn more about the Dorothy Park Pet Adoption Center here: http://www.spcaonline.com/green.htm

Potter League for Animals Middletown, Rhode Island

The Potter League for Animals was the first animal shelter in the nation to receive a LEED Gold rating. The animal care and education center focused on being energy and water efficient, improving the indoor environment, and reducing site impact.

Green features include recycled building materials, a storm water management system, low flow plumbing, and landscaping with native plants. The project also recycled over 75% of construction materials.

Learn more about the Potter League for Animals here: http://www.potterleague.org/

Animal Community Center Milpitas, California

The Animal Community Center in Milpitas, California has been certified gold level under the LEED rating system. The shelter spent $2.5 million to "go green," and focused on "water savings, energy efficiency and building in harmony with nature."

A full 40% of the shelter's energy is from solar paneling and a cool roof reduces the need for air-conditioning in the summer. The building also has a kennel cleaning system that reduces water use, on-site bioswales to clean rainwater, and native plants in outdoor areas to lower the demand for irrigation water.

Learn more about the Animal Community Center here: http://www.hssv.org

Durham County Animal Control Durham, North Carolina

This government building received a silver rated LEED certification in August 2009, and scored especially high marks in the categories of regional materials and recycled content.

The design features low flow water systems, high levels of natural lighting that reduce electric needs, and low emitting interior materials used to improve indoor air quality.

Learn more by visiting http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/anml/

Animal Care and Control Center Jacksonville, Florida

This shelter focused on "green" features that were good for the environment and the health of resident animals.

High-efficiency filtration systems help to balance fresh air and control humidity, which can improve the overall health of the animals in the shelter by reducing airborne illnesses. The building also incorporates natural and automatic lighting to improve energy efficiency.

Learn more by visiting http://www.coj.net/