In 2001, Long Beach Animal Care Services relocated to a new state-of-the-art companion animal care village.
Thanks to a unique partnership agreement between the City of Long Beach and the spcaLA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles), the two agencies now jointly deliver “innovative and revolutionary care” to the animals that enter the Village, according to the City of Long Beach website. Residents of Long Beach and contract cities may also benefit from more efficient animal control services.
“The P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village is a friendly and functionally efficient facility that serves as a national model for future animal shelters,” according to the City. “The Village is housed on over six acres and provides a healthier and safer environment for the animals. Some of the exciting and innovative features of the Village include an interactive display of adoptable animals, cat colonies with screened porches allowing indoor/outdoor access, state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor dog kennels and a multipurpose education center.”
The Village opened its doors August 2001, becoming the first public-private collaboration of its kind. Built on six acres of city land off the 605 Freeway and Spring Street, the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village combines the adoptions and animal education services of the spcaLA and the city’s Animal Care Services Bureau and animal shelter in one location.
The village has a ranch-style administrative building that houses both agencies’ offices, a community room, cage-less catteries with indoor and screened outdoor access for adoptable cats, a separate area for lost and sick cats, and medical facilities to care for the animals.
The spcaLA cat colonies, with catwalks, toys, baskets and a screened porch complete with plants, allow cats to feel more relaxed and social.
Detached from the main building are eight indoor/outdoor circular cottages— four for spcaLA and three for Animal Care Services, each with 25 dog runs, and one cat cottage for Animal Care Services with four fresh-air catteries.
Lost pets are under the care of Animal Care Services, until the animal is reunited with its owner, or the requisite number of days has passed and they can be put up for adoption via the spcaLA or other registered adoption/rescue organizations.
Also detached are an agility course, pet store, grooming center and pet hotel. The grooming center has three bathing stations and one self-service station. The pet hotel has 19 dog kennels, an area for puppies and four exercise yards, as well as 25 cat kennels.
Just as the partnership was considered innovative, so too was the design of the animal shelters. The circular dog cottages allow dogs to see more and as a result have helped reduce barking. The kennels also are larger than traditional ones and provide more fresh air to the animals.
The P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village is located at 7700 E Spring St. and can be reached at (562) 570-7722. Hours are Sundays 10am to 4pm, Wednesdays from 10am to 5:30pm, Thursdays from 10am to 5:30pm, Fridays from 10am to 5:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. The facility is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Source: longbeach.gov
