Animal Care Centers, referred to in the past as Animal Shelters, are facilities that serve both animals and people.  Each Care Center is the headquarters for a portion of the City called a district, and that district is defined through a roster of zip codes.  Staff receive stray or turned in animals at Care Centers, and after an initial check up, hold the animals for the legally required period of time before placing them up for adoption.  The Animal Care Center’s veterinary staff looks after the health of the animals and takes action to treat animals needing special care.  Animal Control Officers work out of each Care Center, responding to public calls and picking up stray and injured animals and wildlife, or animals that may be in danger due to inhumane treatment.  Volunteers and staff work together at the Care Centers to make them prime locations to help customers find their missing companion–or to find a new animal companion.

With passage of the City’s Proposition F, the Fire and Animal Facilities Bond, in 2000, the constituencies of Los Angeles signaled their support for new, expanded, and modern facilities for animal care and human interaction.  In 2007, this building program is coming to fulfillment through 7 new facilities which serve the following goals: 

• Providing community-oriented animal care;
• Providing a safe environment for animals in the Department's care;
• Establishing community relationships to enhance responsible pet ownership and to increase the number of pets reclaimed by owners or adopted to new homes.

Each new or expanded Animal Care Center features comfortable and safely designed public areas and state-of-the-art veterinary care, examination, and observation spaces.  All include a major expansion of dog kennel space and large kitchens for preparing animal meals.  They feature “get-acquainted” rooms for cats and outdoor yards for the adopter to get to know dogs and other animals.  Spay and Neuter clinics of 2400 to 3000 square feet are included in each facility.   The new outdoor kennels keep animals comfortable with radiant heating in the concrete for winter and misting systems for hot days, while human visitors will enjoy the garden settings of the kennel areas.   Large community rooms will be used for everything from staff training to community events. 

An eighth new shelter is still in the plans, for the southern Los Angeles area between the present South LA Animal Care Center on 36th and 11th Avenue, and the Harbor Animal Care Center.

For more information about the progress of the Animal Facilities Bond, click here to go to the Bureau of Engineering website located at http://eng.lacity.org/projects/animal_bond/index.htm