A number of buildings in the Dallas area have greened their interiors and exteriors, but one place in Plano has really done it right.Plano’s animal shelter was recently given Plano’s first LEED certification for an existing building. It’s one of the first 10 in North Texas to receive the designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Several Plano employees, especially Richard Medlen, facilities maintenance superintendent, and Jamie Cantrell, animal services manager, made it their job to assure that the shelter, open in its current location since 2001, was green.

Over time, this has included an array of energy-efficient moves such as changing lighting systems, using water conservation techniques, recycling and incorporating green materials.

The Plano Animal Shelter, a 15,000-square-foot building with 95 dog runs and 120 small-animal cages, had more than 50,000 visitors last year.

“We care for an average of 200 animals each day, and there are 25 employees who work out of the shelter,” Cantrell says.

Employees participate in several green programs that are unique to the shelter.

“All organic wastes are collected by the staff to be turned into compost at the city’s facility,” Cantrell says. “All cardboard, plastic and other recyclable material is separated from the rest of our refuse so that it doesn’t end up in our landfills.”

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Thanks to: RITA COOK / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News