Animal Welfare Professionals

My shelter is looking for ways to reduce the noise of our dog kennels.  We have one room for adoptable dogs, and one for intakes.  In between these rooms.... is the cat room!  They are literally surrounded by the sounds of barking.  

Unfortunately, we can't move the cats to another area of the building, so we have been trying to brainstorm ways to reduce noise in our dog kennels.  Has anyone used sound baffles or acoustic foam hanging from the ceiling?  We have been working with clicker training to keep them quieter, but this doesn't help if they decide to start barking at night, or with new dogs that come in.

Any solutions or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Hi Grace,

There are various types and levels of 'soundproofing' but please be aware that most will not completely block all sounds. For example, some levels of sound (high or low pitches) can still get through certain barriers.  Fyi I'm not a sound expert, just a dog sanctuary director.

On the lowest/least expensive end of things, some people will try using music room foam.  Keep in mind that there are fire safety concerns to this option, not to mention dog chewing/swallowing concerns, and foam on the walls is only mildly effective against sound bouncing, not sound blocking.

There are also different types of drywall products that are considered more sound blocking than regular drywall, as well as drywall sealers for the hardware holes and seams. 

Then there are soundblocking foams (again, check with the fire department for fire safety).

One thing I learned when attempting to soundproof our rooms was that in order to get the most soundproofing possible, you need to apply the materials to every wall as well as ceiling and floor -- a complete envelope -- in order to get the best possible proofing.  It's a big job, but I'm sure those who benefit from it would be very grateful to you.  :)

Good luck and let us know how it goes?  I personally would love to hear a before and after audio sample. :)

Rain

Oops!  Should had explained that the foams go inside the walls -- behind the drywall/between the studs as well as in ceilings/floors etc.  :)

I would recommend consulting with a professional audiologist if possible. 

I would suggest seeking an acoustical consultant, rather than an audiologist.  The former deals with managing sound, the latter with human hearing. 

In my experience on a university classroom design team, I discovered very few architects have training or expertise in acoustics, though they may not realize it.  If you're contemplating a renovation or new construction, I would include an acoustical consultant early in the process.   They have amazing tools that can predict the noise level under various scenarios.   It's far more cost-effective than trying to fix it after it's built - if you even can.