ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Our new resource center isn’t just a way to better serve our animals and the Sonoma community, it’s also a way to help the environment. Many of the features of our new building will be ecologically friendly, allowing us to increase our energy efficiency and lessen greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar Panels
Our new facility will have solar panels on the rooftop that will generate enough power to meet 75% of our total electrical needs.
Rain Water Harvest System
Water supply has been a problem in drought-ridden California for decades. Our new facility will include a rainwater harvesting method that will collect, filter and store storm water runoff, which will give us a small, potable water supply in the event of an emergency.
Vermiculture System
Our kennel waste will be processed through a new composting system called
“vermiculture,” an innovative technology now being used in wineries in Napa, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. Pets Lifeline will be the first to use the system in a kennel environment, whereby waste will be processed through four layers of microbial bacteria to become worm food, and then additionally composted by worms. The end result will be filtered water that can be used for shelter and landscape watering.
Propane-Powered Generator
Because gas and diesel powered generators pollute, our generator will be propane powered: cleaner burning, less expensive, and with a lower potential for leaks. Yet it will be powerful enough to provide electricity to the entire shelter in the event of a fire, earthquake or other natural disaster.
Drought-Resistant Landscaping
Drought conditions are constant in Sonoma. Our new facility landscaping has been designed to require less water and feature drought resistant plants chosen to survive in average to less-than-average rainfall years in our geographical region.
Spraymaster Technologies
Germs and bacteria can cause disease in a shelter, so we must thoroughly clean the kennels daily. SprayMaster Technology will be integrated into the physical structure of the building in animal habitat areas and use a high pressure hose washing system to clean cat and dog kennels. This technology will help us save on labor, water and money, and will help our animals have healthier and less stressful stays.
For more information, please contact Pets Lifeline Executive Director Nancy King at nancyking@petslifeline.org or 707.996.4577 x102.
