Precedent 5- ARF Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation

Location: Walnut Creek, California

Architect: The 1%: Strengthening Nonprofits through Design

Principal in Charge: Tony La Russa

Overall square footage: 37, 700 sq. ft.

Physical Parameters:
Context: ARF opened in June 2003 and has become a community center where ARF is able to rescue, treat, and adopt more animals who would otherwise be put to death. “The catalyst for ARF came in May of 1990 during a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees when a stray cat wandered onto the playing field. Terrified by the roar of the crowd, the frightened feline dashed about, eluding umpires and players. Tony, then the Manager of the Oakland A's, coaxed the cat into the dugout, secured its safety for the remainder of the game, then took responsibility for placing it with a local shelter. To his dismay, Tony discovered there was not a single No-Kill facility in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. When Tony learned the cat would be euthanized, he and his wife, Elaine, named her "Evie" and found a home for her. His experience with this cat was the genesis for the founding of ARF, a No-Kill organization dedicated to bringing people and animals together to enrich each other's lives.” (www.arf.net)

Site Location: It is situated on a prominent corner in Walnut Creek, California at 2890 Mitchell Drive. The ARF campus is bringing people and animals together in a family oriented park like setting. The facility consists of two buildings, totaling 37,700 sq. ft.


Concept For Project: ARF saves dogs and cats who have fun out of time at public shelters and brings people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives. ARF strives to create a world where every loving dog and cat has a home, where every lonely person has a companion animal, and where children learn to care.

Special Factors or challenges: When circumstances arise that leave an adopter unable to keep their animal; ARF will assist the owner in finding a new home. Because ARF is a no kill organization and is fully supported by donations (because they are non-profit), they can only accept a limited amount of animals to the shelter based on their financial capabilities at that time.


List of all the spaces:

Entry: ARF’s facility serves as a community center, as well as a national model, providing a resource for people of all ages to enjoy positive interactions with animals. In addition, the donor wall prominently lists and honors leading contributors to ARF’s capital campaign. To the left is the Virginia Pitchford Main Entry which leads to the Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation Multi use hall, a community gathering spot for adoption fairs, educational exhibits, social events, and school tours.




Dog and Cat Condos: ARF’s animals relax in a homelike setting, making them more adoptable and able to thrive in their new homes.
Lynn and Dolores McCoskey Spay/Newter clinic: With the capacity to alter thousands of animals a year, ART’s state of the art clinic helps break the cycle of companion animal overpopulation in the community.
Learning Center: The learning center at ARG is the first interactive museum connected to a private adoption center designed to educate children about animal companions. This guided experience brings children through a pint sized veterinary office, an age appropriate pet supply shop and to “Walk in My Pays” a creative play stage where children experience what it’s like to be a dog or a cat in a human world.
Summary: I came across this organization because ARF is not only a nonprofit, but is one that deals with animals. The floorplan of the facility has helped me in designing my space that is allocated for the rescued dogs at Spirit Gardens along with the spaces used for the interaction with humans.