Agoura Animal Shelter gets spruced up
L.A. County facility that serves Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Westlake Village gets refurbishment with new paint, artificial turf and new enclosures, among other improvements
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers REFURBISHED- Agoura Animal Shelter employee Yazmin Alvarez steps out of a new dog pen with Reina, a border collie mix. The facility, which serves T.O., has been getting recent improvements.

The Agoura Animal Shelter has been spruced up with new paint, artificial turf and other improvements.

Denise Rosen, shelter manager, said the renovations were long overdue. The shelter's last makeover was more than 20 years ago, she said.

In some areas, the peeling paint revealed a number of old color schemes. Sandblasting stripped off all evidence of past paint, and the walls were given a new coat of plaster and fresh paint.

Old wire cages for the animals were replaced with new enclosures made of galvanized chain-link steel. Each of the 48 kennels at the shelter on Agoura Road can double-up on animals when times get busy, Rosen said.

In addition, artificial turf was installed in the animal shelter's exercise yards.

"We wanted to try it and see how it would hold up," Rosen said. "Aesthetically it's more appealing, and we can spray it down and sanitize it."

"Our goal is to have the volunteers here get the dogs out of their kennels two times per day to help them socialize more," Rosen said.

John Gabbey, senior design consultant with YourTurf in Westlake Village, was hired for the grounds work. He said artificial turf offers a sensible alternative to sod for pet owners- and shelters.

"There is no watering, no mowing, no fertilizing, no chemicals, no allergies and no muddy paw prints," Gabbey said. Artificial turf has become more popular than grass because, in the long run it's more economical to maintain, especially in droughtprone states like California, Arizona and Nevada.

The turf's permeable backing allows up to 40 inches of liquid to drain through the turf every hour, Gabbey said. "That prevents odor problems with pets, mold or mildew and keeps it from deteriorating," he said. "The new turf is the most natural-looking synthetic grass on the market with a life expectancy of up to 25 years."

The cost to install the turf was about $14,000.

The Animal Care Foundation paid for the improvements at the shelter, Rosen said. The foundation also pays for spay and neuter programs, pet adoptions, public education and animal welfare services.

The shelter, which serves Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, accommodates a variety of critters, including dogs, cats, bunnies, chickens, even an occasional goat, Rosen said. Horses are sometimes available for adoption but not often, she said.

According to Rosen, the Agoura shelter has the highest animal placement rate in Los Angeles County.

All dogs are required to pass a "temperament test" to be eligible for adoption. Aggressive breeds such as pit bulls are sometimes difficult to find homes for, however.

"We want to see how animals do with people," Rosen said. A dog's temperament can be assessed through simple touch tests. Employees also check to see how a dog responds to being fed, examined and stared at.

"We want to make sure that we're placing safe dogs in the community."

For further information about the animal shelter, visit www.lacountyanimals.org.