Christ Yoder
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Shelters operated by appointment only to reduce foot traffic and make best use of their limited staff and dedicated volunteers. Recently they started allowing walk-in visitors on weekends. From now on, they will be open five days a week.
“The neighboring agency [spcaLA] opens, and we felt it was important not to turn people away or cause visitors confusion or frustration,” said shelter manager Staycee Dains. “We anticipate that wait times could be increased, as they were before the pandemic.”
Visitors to either shelter will enter through the entrance marked with “SpcaLA Adoption Center” signage. The reception will provide you with information and maps on the grounds of the refuge. Adoptions will be walk-in, first-come, first-served until the process of onboarding and training the new adoption coordinator is complete. Potential adopters can limit the wait time by submitting an online request for an animal they would like to meet. Dains said the application is not a commitment to adopt that particular animal, but entering their information into the system will help expedite the process.
Dains also said positions for behavior, enrichment and training coordinators have been filled and temporary hires are helping out on weekends to help with adoptions.
The new staff members and updated procedures will hopefully make it easier to navigate shelter visits, especially adoptions, but visitor cooperation and patience are just as important. Naturally, people may want to bring the family to see the animals, but shelters are not petting zoos and staff and volunteers are continually busy walking dogs, cleaning litter boxes and helping others. visitors.
LBACS volunteer Jennifer gives a treat to a grateful Big Red, one of the large dogs that make up the largest population on the dog side of the shelter.
“The sanctuary is a place where lost and abandoned animals recover from their lost experience,” Dains said. “All visitors should respect animals’ need for privacy and should visit the shelter to adopt, volunteer or find their lost animal. It is not a healthy experience for animals to be overwhelmed by an audience of people anticipating a performance on behalf of animals Kindness and compassion should be the motivation for all visitors.
One way to help is to add yourself as a volunteer member of the team. It’s practical, and the animals will love it. So will the volunteers who are there now – they have done double duty both in their assigned capacities and as scavengers for exhausted staff. Visit this webpage to see what it entails and to apply.
Adoption hours for both shelters are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, beginning May 4. The shelter is located at 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking/entrance fees for visitors.
