DOG SHELTER REINVENTION THROUGH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION AND INTEGRATION WITH COMMUNITY CENTER AND DOG-FRIENDLY PLAZA

• Main Author: Febriyana Chandra, Michelle
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Bangunan publik
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85647
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Currently, most domestic pet owners in Indonesia, particularly dog owners, are still hesitant to adopt and choose to buy their pets from pet stores. Meanwhile, the population of stray dogs in animal shelters is increasing, leading to overcrowding in these facilities and resulting in less-than-optimal care for the dogs housed there. This issue is associated with the negative stigma that still surrounds animal shelters, which makes them less appealing to the public. Additionally, the conditions within these shelters are often inadequate and below standard, putting the housed dogs at risk of various physical and mental health issues. In contrast, adopting from shelters rather than buying from pet stores can help reduce the demand for cheap puppies on the market, which are often produced by puppy mills—places where female dogs are forced to give birth repeatedly in unhealthy conditions to meet the demand for puppies in pet stores. Moreover, Indonesia has been found to have the highest amount of animal cruelty content circulating. This indifference towards dogs is ironic given the increasing number of pet owners and animal lovers in Indonesia, as evidenced by the growing number of local activities and entertainment content focused on animals. These animal lover community activities also have positive impacts, such as fostering social interactions among community members and building trust between pet owners. Therefore, there is a need for spaces that promote activities for dog lover communities, where they can also be exposed to stray dogs in need of new families. This can be achieved by designing a pet-friendly plaza integrated with a stray dog shelter and community center, combining commercial, community, educational, and care functions. To accomplish this, various factors need to be analyzed, such as safety and comfort standards when establishing an animal shelter, management of shelter sustainability, designing appealing facilities for animal lovers, and creating public spaces that encourage interaction and leave a positive impression on visitors. This facility integrates a primary function of a plaza (marketplace & public space) with a stray dog shelter, while also providing secondary functions including a community and educational center, dog training center, veterinary clinic, and a dog hotel or boarding service for owners who wish to travel. The scope for accepting stray dogs includes: sick/injured stray dogs, strays causing disturbances to residents, and pets surrendered by their owners who no longer want them. The combination of these functions aims to connect stray dogs with animal lovers using the other facilities, thereby creating a positive image of the shelter and increasing the likelihood of these dogs being seen and adopted by potential new owners. Additionally, placing the project near various residential areas and educational institutions provides potential for creating a community-based public space and ensures the project's sustainability through regular visitors who could also become volunteers or employees at the facility.