State-of-the-Art Animal Services Shelter Opens in Santa Clara County, California

MILIPITAS, Calif., March 4, 2021 – Santa Clara officials cut the ribbon in February on the new County of Santa Clara Animal Services Center, a new 37,000 sq. ft. facility located on an eight-acre expanse in San Martin. The new building is regarded as one of the premier animal service facilities in the country and features advanced medical clinics, custom cat condos and dog dorms, specialized outdoor rehabilitation space, a barn and pasture for large livestock and emergency shelter capacity for community pets. The structure allows the team to double its capacity for the number of animals it can care for from 4,000 to 8,000 each year.

The center was constructed by XL Construction, a leading general contractor based in Milpitas, California, whose mission is to “build to improve lives.” Among the firm’s many contributions to the project was the utilization of innovative methods for advanced safety and disease control including zoned air flow and sophisticated trench drain and chemical washdown systems. In addition, durable specialty materials that require almost no maintenance beyond topical cleaning, were used throughout the project including polished and sealed concrete and epoxy-coated floors, structural glazed tile/block walls, plastic toilet partitions and lockers and caesarstone countertops.

The center was designed by Sacramento-based Dreyfuss & Blackford Architecture, in collaboration with animal care designer Bacon Group, Inc. (Clearwater, Florida). The culmination of more than 10 years of planning, the facility was painstakingly designed to ensure that it will support the county’s diverse human and pet populations and improve outcomes for animals and adopters. Design of the center drew from WELL Building™ principles, Fear Free® concepts for the welfare and well-being of animals and LEED™ green building standards.

Among other notable amenities, the facility boasts a 2,500-square-foot barn and extensive pastures and is the only one in the region outfitted to house and rehabilitate livestock. In addition, an indoor/outdoor community meeting space for up to 300 people provides area residents with a much-needed location to host meetings and workshops, as well as to celebrate and gather for community events.

Images can be accessed via the links below:

• Image 1: Santa Clara Animal Services Center Entrance
• Image 2: Santa Clara Animal Services Center
• Image 3: Ribbon Cutting for Santa Clara Services Center
• Image 4: Inside the Santa Clara Animal Services Center – Staff

About XL Construction

XL Construction is a leading general contractor whose mission is to “build to improve lives.” XL partners with today’s leaders in life sciences, advanced technology, corporate office, civic, healthcare, and education to create places that make its communities better. The company’s focus and passion for team success has earned it a network of great partners and a reputation for putting people first. XL Construction is consistently ranked among the top general contractors in Northern California. In 2020, the company was named ENR California’s Top General Contractor of 2020 and the #1 Best Place to Work in the Bay Area.