Designing a Healthier Facility for Dogs Who Serve Veterans
K9’s for Warriors Center for Operations & Training Veterinary Clinic
K9s For Warriors, the nation’s leading provider of trained Service Dogs to Veterans, needed to expand its campus with a dedicated veterinary clinic that could bring specialized care directly to the dogs at the center of its mission.
Walker Architects designed a new 4,284-square-foot veterinary clinic as an addition to the organization’s existing Center for Operations and Training facility. The project consolidates essential veterinary functions on campus, including intake, exams, dog holding, treatment, radiology, surgery, isolation, rehabilitation, lab/pharmacy, veterinary office space, and staff support.
The compact plan supports a complex clinical workflow, balancing efficient staff movement, low-stress animal handling, infection control, odor control, and specialized infrastructure. Exam, surgery, radiology, treatment, kennel, dental, lab, pharmacy, laundry, and medical gas storage spaces were carefully coordinated to support both daily veterinary checkpoints and more intensive in-house care.
Because the clinic brings animal care and medical treatment together, the building had to do more than provide the right rooms. It needed to support cleanliness, comfort, odor control, and reliable daily operations. The design uses fresh air, safe water systems, thoughtful waste handling, backup power, and other protective measures to create a healthier environment for recovering dogs.
Walker Architects and its engineering partners helped K9s For Warriors turn a first-time facility need into a practical, highly specialized veterinary clinic. The team kept the project aligned with the mission, the dogs’ care needs, and the budget, delivering the building for $2,948,629, well below the original $4 million capital budget.
The result is a purpose-built veterinary clinic that strengthens K9s For Warriors’ ability to care for the Service Dogs who help Veterans regain dignity, independence, and quality of life.
Project Owner
K9s for Warriors
Location
Ponte Vedra, FL
Completion Date
December 2025
Project Size
4,284 SF
Cost
$2.9M
Delivery Method
Hard Bid
Partners
Auld & White
“We are thrilled with the results and how it will impact the health and wellbeing of our dogs. You made it easy for someone building this for the first time! Thank you!”
Alex Lott, Chief Operating & Information Officer
K9s For Warriors
Selected Works
Osceola Middle School GymnasiumA New Era of Athletics and Arts at Osceola Middle School
Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information TechnologyA Hub for Innovation at the University of Florida
University of Miami BioNIUM Nanotechnology LabNanotechnology Researchers Gain a Highly Specialized Lab
The Chi University Animal HospitalNanotechnology Researchers Gain a Highly Specialized Lab
UF Innovation and Learning LabDesign Healing Spaces
UF IFAS Microbiology Lab RenovationChange this
UF Health Family Medicine - Haile PlantationHealthcare as an Integral Neighborhood Element
St Augustine Government House RehabilitationFirst LEED Certified Historic Building in Florida
Shands Facilities Administration BuildingOpen Plan Design Promotes Collaboration
UF J. Wayne Reitz Student Union ExpansionEmphasizing a Sense of Place for Gators
UF Student Healthcare CenterA Building That Says "We Care"
UF Health Shands Inpatient Dialysis SuiteHow Can a Hospital Dialysis Unit Support Staff and Patient Well-being?
UF Condron Family Ballpark Outfield Restrooms & ConcessionsRounding Out the 360-Degree Gator Baseball Fan Experience
UF Early Childhood Collaboratory at Baby GatorLeading UF’s Youngest Scholars Towards a Love of Learning
UF Condron Family BallparkA New 360-Degree Gator Baseball Fan Experience
Radiant Credit Union Operations BuildingRadiant Credit Union Operations Building
IT PRO.tv Adaptive ReuseA Launchpad for Online Learning
Exactech Parking GarageWelcome to Exactech
Harris Veterinary ClinicChange this
Clinical Techniques & Skills Assessment LabDelivering a Premier Clinical Simulation Lab
Chi Institute ExpansionModern Facility for Ancient Healing Arts
Career Connections CenterThe Bridge from College to Professional Life
UF Basic Science Building Lab Renovation, Phase 1Making an Old Laboratory New
Workplace Redesign for UF Information TechnologyThinking, Working, Innovation
Austin Cary Forest Stern Learning CenterNature Shapes Design
Santa Fe College Building Construction InstituteSpaces for Construction Trade Education
Oak Hall Lower School Enrichment CenterAgile Classrooms Empower Young Scholars
Multiple Manufacturing Lines for Johnson and Johnson VisionRestoring a Vision for JJV
Johnson & Johnson Tampa Footprint OptimizationCreating A World-Class Welcome
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority Gamma Iota Chapter HouseProject type
Katie Seashole Pressly Softball StadiumProject type
Hitchcock Field and Fork Food PantryAddressing Food Insecurity on UF's Campus
UF Health Proton Therapy Institute Gantry ExpansionExpansion; Healthcare
Facade Renovations for Trimark PropertiesA Distinctive Facade Within the Innovation District
Exactech Expansion and RenovationWelcome to Exactech
Hotel Eleo at the University of FloridaProject type
UF Veterinary Medicine Central Utility PlantProject type
Basic Science Building Lab Renovation, Phase 2Designing an agile lab environment for UF Basic Science.
UF Norman Hall RehabilitationCollege of Education Revisioning
UF Graduate and Professional Student LoungesFocused Recreation
UF Honors VillageNew Undergraduate Residential Complex with Honors College
Indoor Tennis Practice FacilityNow Any Weather is Tennis Weather
Phi Mu Sorority HouseReorganized Spaces Provide Maximum Benefit
Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area Office at GTECA Fresh New Look to Reinvigorate the GTEC Building
UF College of Veterinary Medicine AdditionStandalone addition to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida.
Institute for Advanced Learning Technologies in UF's College of EducationNorman Hall Ground Floor Renovation
Lake City Fire Station No. 2Lake City Fire Station No. 2
Agriscience Building at Camp John HopeRevitalizing Agriscience Education
Chi Institute Equine FacilityA Holistic Equine Education Center
Williston City HallWilliston City Hall
City of Williston Downtown Streetscape and ArcadeCity of Williston Downtown Streetscape and Arcade
Alachua County Tax Collector Northwest BranchTax Collector New Northwest Branch
