PALMDALE— County and city officials Monday celebrated the groundbreaking of the Palmdale Animal Care Center.
Projected to open in early 2016, the 25,500-square-foot indoor animal care facility will be located on 5.94 acres in Palmdale at 38550 Sierra Highway. The new facility will provide housing to approximately 10,000 pets per year – including dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small pets – alleviating the high volume of animals and calls for service at the Lancaster Animal Care Center.
“We have a [$20] million investment in Palmdale for our animals,” said Michael Antonovich. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility; and once open, the center will serve the residents of the Antelope Valley, the city of Palmdale and the unincorporated areas nearby.”
Features of the new facility will include:
- Separate housing for isolation and quarantine animals.
- Adoptable animals housed separately from lost and found animals.
- Specially designed cat condos for adoptable cats.
- A central courtyard for enrichment and training.
- Individual visitation areas for cats and dogs.
- A separate intake area for animals for immediate medical evaluation.
- A veterinary/spay and neuter clinic.
- A minimum of 15 air changes per hour in all animal areas to reduce disease and promote wellness.
- Sound absorption materials throughout to reduce stress for animals.
- A welcoming lobby that includes a self-service station where residents can pay fees online or view available pets.
“This is the first new animal care facility since the 1970s for the county of Los Angeles, and it’s very long overdue,” said Los Angeles County Animal Control Director Marcia Mayeda. “What we’re doing here today is really doubling the holding capacity for dogs and cats in the Antelope Valley. When this facility is open, we’ll be able to take half the population of dogs and cats that’s currently served at Lancaster and move them down here.”
Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the location of the new facility would help engage more local residents and allow for more convenient pet adoptions.
“I think it’s going to be a showcase,” Ledford said. “People are going to want to come see the building, but hopefully they’re going to leave with a dog or a cat.”
For more information on the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, visit http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/.
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Cynthia says
What will be the hiring process for this facility?
Greg says
I believe the LAC Animal Care and Control website employment page has everything you need.
http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/acc/support/employment/
Janis says
I think animal shelters are absolutely wonderful, but whatever happened to the new, state of the art fire station that was supposed to be built there?
Claudia says
I live in Germany and all shelters here a no kill shelters. Why do so many pets need to be put down in the US. There are so many people with big hearts, why can these animals not be safe.
During 17 years in the AV I picked up many dogs from the street, found their owners or they stayed with me. We had about 5 different dogs at some point and when we moved we had two left and took them to Germany with us.
G. Richards says
Too many dog owners in the town outskirts have dogs with no tags or shots. They do this to avoid fines when the dogs get caught running loose. Dogs in this instance are usually many to a yard, ignored, cheap security, likely to bite, and escaping the fence on a regular basis. Door to door checks for licensed animals would fund itself on fines, and curb the untagged snarling dogs running about.
Greg says
Lived in Littlerock three years and two of those years we had visits from Animal Control out walking door to door and checking stats of animals and tags and shots. Glad to say mine are up to date and proper. Properly fenced in, chipped and cared for.
Angela White says
More than likely the majority find food much more important than high fees! Not everyone is a criminal, some people are just broke and have to watch every dime they spend. They should be helped with their fees, not have more fines piled on top of that! Show some compassion for animal lovers on a tight budget, they can still be wonderful animal care takers too.
chris says
This is fantastic news for the Antelope Valley. 1st Center built by La County Animal Care and Control in over 40 years. It was a great day for Palmdale and all the animals in the AV and SCV
Nancy P says
Isn’t this the same time the Arrest Logs disappeared last year?
Greg says
Cost of land, cost of labor, cost of materials for something that does not fall down in a decades time. Yeah $20M is about right.
How to get a no kill shelter…. spay and neuter your pets, spay and neuter strays, report animal mills more than half of which have no clue what they are doing, keep track of your pets, keep your yards secure. Oh and do not get pets that you do not plan to keep for their lifetime, it is a small commitment for most pets.
kristi says
If only everyone followed these rules… we wouldn’t need any additional shelter.
But I’m glad to see there is another facility to give more animals more time and more of a chance.
CB says
Not true Kristi. The elusive but over-abundant Jackalopes will always be a menace to the AV.
Tom says
Could have been worst, like a neighborhood walmart I’ll take the dogs any day.
Just Saying says
Since this is walking distance from 2 existing Walmarts, your snark factor kinda deflates itself.
Nancy P says
Good point Tom. I think most people feel that way even if the “snark police” think it’s more important to point out the close proximity to existing Walmarts. sheesh
Karen Nagle says
I think it it’s WONDERFUL, and very much needed. There is such a high number of animals held at the Lancaster facility, that the animals held there are in a race against time to be adopted or put down. It is my hope that responsible pet owners will adopt their future fur baby from a shelter, and give these animals a forever place in their hearts and their home.
Shelter animals are the most loving animal you could own, for they remember where they came from, and are forever grateful you have given them a second chance They will love you with all they have, to show you their loving gratitude.
Angela White says
They need to make the fees an amount that doesn’t reach the hundred dollar mark! Rescuers are even Worse, their dogs can cost many hundreds of dollars. I wonder how many thousands of dogs will never, ever get a home only because of the fees? Rescue has become a Business and they want you to pay for room and board for the animals they “rescue”! Plus any other amounts they add on and you’re looking at a cost that’s higher then buying a healthy pedigreed dog where all is known about them! I’d like to see the REAL statistics on how many of the “rescued” dogs actually find forever homes and how many are priced out of ever being rescued. A lot of those will live in cages forever even though there are good homes that want those dogs! It’s really not working and pretending it is is not the same! There needs to be a new model.
Rosemarie Ortiz says
let’s make this a “no kill” animal shelter
Lisa says
is this going to just be another high-kill shelter like the A.V Shelter? $20 million seems like an outrageous amount!
Mark says
$20 million. Are Fukien kidden me?