Mornington: Community Animal Shelter Refurbishment

Project typeBuildings
Project value$2.4 Million

The Community Animal Shelter and Pound upgrades will include a welcoming community focused adoption space, enhanced dog kennels that exceed welfare standards, a dedicated cat isolation room to provide all required medical care of infectious felines, and spacious new habitats for pocket pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits, ensuring all our animals receive the highest standard of care and comfort.

The project was awarded at the Council meeting held on 15 July 2024.

Project Update:

The newly upgraded Animal Shelter as part of Stage 1 works is now complete, providing a safer, more comfortable, and environmentally friendly facility for the care of animals in our community.

The yearlong project has transformed the site into a modern centre that supports better animal welfare and improved experiences for staff, volunteers, and visitors.

What’s New at the Shelter?

This upgrade includes several major improvements designed to increase capacity and enhance daily operations:

20 new kennels, built to provide cleaner, more comfortable, and more secure spaces for animals in care.
A new office, giving staff and volunteers a more functional and welcoming place to work.
A dedicated veterinary room, allowing animals to receive on‑site medical checks and treatment.
A dedicated pocket pet room.
A dedicated meet & greet room for meeting pets up for adoption.
On site dedicated laundry service as well as pet bath to reduce operational costs.
A safe and secure drop‑off area, making it safer for on site staff to carry out day to day operations.
Improved security systems, helping protect staff, visitors, and animals.

Raising the Standard for Animal Care

The upgraded facility not only meets but exceeds the mandatory standards for animal care, incorporating best‑practice design principles and welfare features.

The project is now considered an example for other councils and authorities looking to improve or rebuild their own animal facilities with active interest received for case studies.

Environmentally Friendly Design

Sustainability was a key part of the upgrade, with several environmentally responsible features included:

Solar panels to reduce energy use and support cleaner power generation.
Rainwater harvesting, with collected water reused for cleaning kennels and maintaining outdoor areas.
Landscaping with local plant species, helping support biodiversity and reducing water consumption by usage of simple use irrigation system.

A Better Future for Animals and Our Community

The upgraded Animal Shelter is a strong investment in animal welfare and community services.

It delivers a safer, more sustainable, and more compassionate environment for the animals that need our support.

Download: Overall layout and 3D Design(PDF, 10MB)

Update: January 2026