South LA Shelter Offers Pets-In-Waiting Heated Floors, Retractable Roofs
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If you're looking for a furry friend to take home, the city of Los Angeles wants to be your matchmaker.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports the new state-of-the-art South LA Animal Services Center celebrated its grand opening at Chesterfield Square Thursday.
Villaraigosa marks opening of South LA animal shelter
"The message that we sent to the community is that animals lives are valuable. We're willing to put money into the facility. Into making it possible for people to come in, have a good time, meet animals," said Brenda Barnette, the center's general manager.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was among those officials on hand for a walk-through of the shelter, which features a crisp green and white color scheme and a spacious outdoor kennel landscape dubbed "Main Street."
The facility located at West 60th and Western was designed to make its animal residents feel comfortable while they wait for a permanent home, according to architect Rania Alomar.
"It's very much a garden," said Alomar. "All the dogs are looking out onto green, so the environment for the animal is actually very pleasant."
Barnette said, "The layout is so that the dogs aren't facing each other, so they don't bark quite so much. It's also just comfortable to walk around. It's more like going to a high-end retail store. It sends the message that these are great dogs…just come and meet them."
The outdoor space boasts more than 80 trees and colorful tile work by Annemarie Karlsen, each of which resembles a giant flower, along with misters, heated floors and retractable roofs on all the outdoor kennels.
For one day only, the shelter is offering discounted adoption fees for dogs ($83.50) and cats ($50.50).
Click here for more info on the animal shelter.
