King Animal Hospital: Emergency & Referral Hospital
King City, ON

In the township of King City, Ontario – approximately 40 kms north of Toronto - Canada’s leading campus for veterinary care, research, and education is nearing completion. King Animal Hospital (KAH) is an initiative being spearheaded by Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary who have operated a world-renowned, 50-acre sanctuary and animal rescue in the Township since 2014. King Animal Hospital, a referral and emergency hospital for companion animals and equines, will be an evolution of this work and will merge the highest-possible standards of emergency care, therapy, rehabilitation, and naturopathy.

The campus offers highly-specialized services not currently available anywhere else in Canada. Ongoing work for a full campus of care is set to make King City one of the world’s leading destinations for veterinary care, research, and education.

Images Below: Equine Operating Room (left) | Emergency Department (right)

A New State of the Art Animal Hospital

As the shell of the main hospital building neared completion, PRISM Partners and Dog Tails engaged Cumulus for a peer review of the proposed clinical program. Selected for our wealth of knowledge designing human-focused healthcare environments, we were tasked with ensuring the planned hospital program far exceeded the traditional standards of veterinary facilities. Our review helped Dog Tails realize their goal of an animal-focused care facility which achieved human standards of infection control. Upon competition of the review, we were commissioned as the Prime Consultant the lead the clinical fit-out of the hospital’s interior working alongside Kelly Wearstler Interiors who provided the vision for the hospital’s reception, administration, and public space.

Images Below: Equine 64 Slice Standing CT (left) | Indoor Arena for Equine Rehabilitation

Scale & Complexity

The core design challenge was in the scale and complexity that the program required. With much of the equipment, such as MRIs, CT scanners, hydrotherapy tanks and pools, intended for large equine animals, typical spatial and load challenges were amplified. In addition, as KAH’s planned service offerings required equipment that has yet to be utilized in Canadian veterinary care, there were few built precedents to draw from. KAH was officially accredited by the Council of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario in January of 2024.

A Full Campus of Care

Cumulus is currently leading the development of the surrounding KAH campus which includes the addition of a world-class dog boarding and quarantine facility, a hay storage barn, operations garage, equine stables and administration building. Envisioned as a significant departure from traditional dog kennel typologies, KAH reimagines compassionate care by offering comfort, dignity, and palliative care for the most challenging and complex canine patients until end-of-life.

Project Team
Hospital Clinical Fit-Out & Campus Buildings: Cumulus Architects
Base Building Design: Richard Wengle Architect Inc.
Interior Design: Kelly Wearstler Interiors
Electrical Engineering: MBII
Mechanical Engineering: HHAngus
Structural Engineering: Entuitive, MTE Consulting
Envelope: Best Consultants
Civil: BaseTech Consulting
Cost: Hanscomb
Client: Prism Partners Inc. on behalf of Dog Tails Rescue & Sanctuary
Contractor: The Dalton Company

Program
12 Exam Rooms
8 Operating Rooms
Laboratory & Pharmacy
MDRD Sterilization Room
Diagnostics (Small Animal): 3T MRI, 128 slice CT, C-Arm Fluoroscopy, Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, Endoscopy
Diagnostics (Equine): 1.5T Recumbent MRI, 64 slice standing CT, C-Arm Fluoroscopy, Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, Endoscopy
Rehabilitation (Small Animal): Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, Hydrotherapy Pool, Underwater Treadmills, Laser Therapy
Rehabilitation (Equine): Underwater Treadmill, Laser Therapy, 
5,800 sf indoor arena
Cat Ward / Clinic
Outdoor Paddocks for Horses
Outdoor Green Space for Dogs
Rubberized Heated Outdoor Ramp for Horses and Trailers
Auditorium for Knowledge Exchange and Continuing Education
Dog Boarding and Quarantine Facility
Hay Storage Barn
Operations Garage
Equine Stables
Administration Building

Press

Horse Sport: King Animal Hospital Celebrates Grand Opening

NewmarketToday: New King City animal hospital aims to 'revolutionize' care