The design of BC SPCA's new 77,000 sq. ft. Vancouver animal hospital and shelter | Daily Hive

This is the design of the BC SPCA's new 77,000 sq. ft. Vancouver animal hospital and shelter

Concept of the new BC SPCA facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. (Zacharko Yustin Architects/BC SPCA)

BC SPCA is finally moving ahead with its long-planned project of building a brand-new modern and expanded animal hospital and shelter in Vancouver.

A new development permit application has been submitted to redevelop the BC SPCA’s existing facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., which is located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Keith Drive and East 6th Avenue (Great Northern Way).

The aging facility, first built in 1965, no longer meets the needs of the organization, which also uses the building for its provincial offices.

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This 32,000 sq. ft. site is located just south of SkyTrain’s VCC-Clark Station and east of Vancouver Community College’s (VCC) Broadway campus. Under the City of Vancouver’s Broadway Plan, major redevelopments are also planned for the area, including high-density, mixed-use projects for the VCC campus and the adjacent former Shaw/Rogers operations compound. Moreover, ICBC’s new headquarters office building recently reached completion just to the north of the BC SPCA site.

The new BC SPCA facility is designed as a purpose-built complex that will bring the organization’s animal hospital, shelter, adoption services, rehabilitation, training spaces, public education programs, and provincial offices together under one roof.

Site of the existing BC SPCA facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of the existing BC SPCA facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept of the new BC SPCA facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. (Zacharko Yustin Architects/BC SPCA)

The combined animal hospital and shelter will be located across the first three floors, while office uses will be located on the third floor.

The building will be tallest and most substantial along its Great Northern Way frontage. It gradually steps down toward nearby low-rise residential buildings to the south and east to reduce its visual and shadow impacts. It will reach a height of up to 95 ft.

The main entrance will face Keith Drive and feature a two-storey glass atrium, while a landscaped outdoor area on the south side will provide space for gatherings, education, and animal interaction.

The exterior will use glass, light-coloured metal panels, concrete, and brick, with potential animal-themed public art along the north and west sides. The design also separates pedestrian, vehicle, and animal movements, and includes measures intended to reduce noise, odours, and other impacts on nearby residents.

Concept of the new BC SPCA facility at 1205 East 7th Ave., Vancouver. (Zacharko Yustin Architects/BC SPCA)

The building will have a total floor area of about 77,000 sq. ft. The project’s lead design firm is Zacharko Yustin Architects.

For more than a decade, the project has evolved considerably, with the design reaching a size of up to 120,000 sq. ft. at one point.

In June 2023, the provincial government committed $7 million to the BC SPCA to help fund the construction of the new Vancouver facility. At that time, the project was described by the provincial government as a new facility with a 20,000 sq. ft. animal shelter, a 9,000 sq. ft. veterinary hospital, and a 5,000 sq. ft. education centre. Then in February 2025, Vancouver City Council amended an industrial zoning definition at 1205 East 7th Ave. to better accommodate the BC SPCA’s redevelopment.

This BC SPCA redevelopment is completely separate from the City of Vancouver’s project of building a brand-new modern animal shelter nearby at 1210 Glen Dr. in the False Creek Flats. In May 2026, the development permit application for the municipally-owned and operated Vancouver Animal Shelter project — spanning 14,000 sq. ft. across two levels — received approval.

1210 glen drive new vancouver animal shelter

Concept of the new Vancouver Animal Shelter at 1210 Glen Dr., Vancouver. (Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects + Designers/City of Vancouver)

According to City statistics, the number of dogs going through the Vancouver Animal Shelter, operated by the City’s Animal Services department, has been on an organically falling trend — steadily dropping from nearly 1,600 dog intakes in 2005 to about 600 in 2019, just before the pandemic’s temporary artificial trend that saw a big spike in adoptions. This is attributed to new sterilization policies by shelters and private veterinarians, increased awareness of responsible pet ownership, and the increasing popularity of animal fostering.

Over the same period, there has been an increase in the intake of smaller animals — such as birds, reptiles, and rodents — rising from just about a few in 2005 to over 200 in 2019.

The City and BC SPCA briefly explored a potential partnership to develop a shared facility, but the concept ultimately did not move forward.

According to the BC SPCA’s latest annual report, in 2025 the organization facilitated the adoption of 4,363 animals across its Lower Mainland service area, which includes Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Within this area, it also performed 3,635 spay and neuter surgeries for homeless and community animals, provided more than 2,000 nights of free emergency pet boarding, and served approximately 245,000 meals to animals.

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