Catching up with Animal Services

Local residents should be pleased to learn that a thoroughly modern animal shelter recently opened its doors to serve them, with another nearing completion early this year. Replacing the converted dairy farm on Sherman Way that for years served as the East Valley shelter, the new East Valley Animal Care Center at 14409 Vanowen Street in Van Nuys is a sight for sore eyes.

Los Angeles "pounds" have seen relatively few improvements since their establishment at the end of the 19th century. Causing barely a blip on the city's budget, these temporary safe-havens for our lost and cast-off pets left a lot to be desired. Funky, old buildings were routinely adapted for re-use, save for the occasional drab, cheaply built structures modeled after correctional facilities.

Thanks to overwhelming voter support in 2000 for the Animal Facilities Bond Measure (Prop F), the cramped, antiquated shelters of old are being replaced or renovated with state-of-the-art models. Award-winning facilities were toured to gather design ideas - notably, the SPCA's in Long Beach and San Francisco. It appears that the research paid off - the new centers have a family-friendly, park-like ambiance, 180 degrees from past incarnations.

Determined to meet a goal set by Mayor Hahn for L.A. to become a "No Kill" city by 2008, the Department of Animal Services has been working feverishly to improve its image and lure potential adopters. Positioning shelters as community centers, the hope is that residents will choose to adopt an animal in lieu of purchasing one from a pet store or breeder. Increased shelter adoptions mean decreased euthanasia of adoptable animals, a win-win equation for all.

After fine-tuning the mister system and adding shade canopies to cope with last September's extreme heat, the new East Valley center appears to be running smoothly. The sleek facility utilizes green building concepts that meet or exceed current standards, including solar power, radiant heating of kennels, and xeroscopic landscaping.

Visitors enter a spacious lobby filled with art and color. Across from the nearly-completed on-site spay and neuter clinic is a community room available for gatherings. Cats bask in sunlit catteries and centrally-located public greeting rooms. The number of dog kennels is almost triple that of the old shelter, alleviating the ongoing space crunch. Grouped in small clusters, the aisles are punctuated with fountains and landscaped "get acquainted" areas resembling pocket parks. The design of the kennel area has all but eliminated the stress-related barking that was constant and deafening in the old facility. On a recent visit, it was remarkable how calm and quiet the dogs were in this new environment, making them all the more appealing to potential adopters.

The East Valley facility will provide service for foothill residents until the newly constructed Northeast Valley Animal Care Center at 11030 Stranwood in Mission Hills opens its doors towards the middle of 2008. Modern in every other aspect, the handsome center's classic architecture compliments that of the well-known landmark across the way, Mission San Fernando.
For more information about LAAS services, visit: www.laanimalservices.com