The Disneyland for rescued animals
Where: Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
When: August 30, 2019
Who: Sierra Britton
Why: To promote and strengthen the human animal bond
“We share this Earth with our pets. We enjoy love and companionship from them, and as every animal lover knows, we can learn a great deal from them too.”
When I was younger, I was incredibly scared of dogs for no reason. Funny enough I now really want my own. To be honest, I was scared to visit PetSpace in Playa Vista due to the fear that I would come back to my apartment holding a new pet. I was so close to doing so.
Visiting PetSpace was a whole different experience. I have been to animal shelters in the past with friends but I have never seen one quite like what PetSpace had to offer. My roommate, a huge pet lover described the vicinity as a “Disneyland for pets”. She seemed about right. This place is super high tech and has more than what a normal animal shelter could have. From water treadmills, to TVs in their rooms, to digital X-ray machines and much more, these animals really are living a lavish life. When first entering PetSpace I was greeted by a friendly employee, followed by a huge interactive wall which reminded me of a Tesla and Reformation store.
The wall consists of a list of the pets up for adoption, a ‘how to’ on adopting, as well as stories of humans, pets and their formed bond. It was very convenient and it was heartwarming to read stories of humans and their new best friends. After playing with the wall for a bit, we then entered the gift store which consisted of cute knick knacks, as well as pet necessities. Not only were their products entertaining and useful but were also very educational for the animals. The ones that stuck out to me the most were their dog and cat feeders, or what they call “fun feeder”.
The fun feeders consist of challenging mazes and games before getting to the food. It serves the purpose of slowing down food consumption, to ensure better digestion but also a way for them to exercise their brains. I found these unique products so interesting and clever.
After browsing in the gift store, we were introduced to our back stage tour guide, Sierra Britton. Sierra began with a walk through of how the animals are treated when they first enter PetSpace. She first brought us to the grooming room, showing us the where each animal is carefully bathed.
The bathtub/shower consists of stairs for bigger dogs as well as a platform for smaller ones, making it more convenient and less scary for newly rescued animals. She emphasized the fact that after the animals arrive at PetSpace they ensure that everything done to them is done gently so that they do not endure anymore stress. For example, while the animals are bathed, they leave the hair dryer is left on so that the animal gets used to the sound. So that by the time they get to drying they are not startled by the loud noise. After, they are then brushed, their ears are then cleaned using zap ear, a solution that would soften/dissolve the earwax, nails trimmed and last but not least, their photo would be taken. Sierra mentioned that most shelters take photos of the animal right when they arrive at the shelter in their abused condition leading to an unappealing and scared photo of the animal. At PetSpace they make it a priority that the animal is well groomed for their adoption profile since attractive photos of the animals have been found to increase adoption rates.
The rejuvenated pet is then also introduced to what I found to be cleverly named; Barks & Rec and the Catio where they are free to roam.
The tour continued with Sierra showing us around their health facilities. These facilities emphasized the luxury and the amount of care that PetSpace had to offer through equipments such as an X-ray machine which avoids radiation as well as water treadmills to help with weight loss. It was very heartwarming to hear stories about dogs, such as Balloo who lost a lot of weight through the machine which pretty much saved his life.
After a back stage tour of the area, we headed our way upstairs to what I was waiting for, meeting the animals. Each dog had their own room, all of which were themed differently. They had built-in mats that looked like rugs, wallpaper that looked like the inside of a house, as well as a TV in each room playing a video that is accustomed to the lifestyle they could have if and when adopted. Beside the entrance of each room was another interactive wall that had a huge photo of the dog, a list of their characteristics and information, as well as their story.
Not only were we introduced to the dogs, but we also got a chance to meet the cats. This was our last stop of the tour. It was very enjoyable being around loving animals who they called the Sushi group since each kitten was named after Japanese food: Mochi, Sashimi, Sushi, Sake, Ponzu, Poke, etc.
I was in the room playing with them for quite awhile until I started getting clawed on my skin and my long hair. I think that was the message it was time for me to leave. That basically concluded my tour.
Thoughts/Q&A:
Were they lacking anything was my main question. I noticed that it seemed as though they did not have as many suites for the dogs as I had thought (around 10-15 for show) and about 40 pets in total and at a time. After asking Sierra, she also agreed with me.
S: “PetSpace wants to take care of more animals but they are lacking the space and people to do so.”
Apart from that, she also explained that
S: “The smaller the group of animals, the easier it is for them to take great care and keep an eye on each one.”
Makes sense. I followed up with the question
N: “How do you guys choose which animals get to be taken to PetSpace?”
S: “It is based on the needs of the animal at the shelter. How much help the animal needs and if the shelter they are in can’t properly take care of them.”
For example, they take cats from shelters who have ringworm to avoid it from spreading to other cats. They then put them in a separate room in PetSpace since ringworm is easily contagious and would spread to the whole shelter if not enclosed or treated. Another thought I had in mind was
N: “How many pets get adopted each day, what is the average?”
S: “Adoption per day is 1-2 pets, depending on the day. Sometimes we’ll have none but then 2 or 3 will get adopted the next”
To end my little Q and A with her, I asked the ultimate thought I had in mind of
N: “Why aren’t a lot of these animals adopted yet?”
S: “Breed Bias”
Society already has stereotype on certain breeds (e.g. violent pitbull, yappy chihuahua). Sierra then continued to talk about how often potential pet owners walk into PetSpace, they already have a specific dog breed in mind. They already have a specific aesthetic, ignoring the idea of helping out the animal in need, the animal that is already there and needs them. Often potential pet owners also ignore what type of dog breed is best fit for them and the needs of the dog. She continued to talk about Balloo, one of the oldest but also smartest dogs there at PetSpace. People often go to his room and his profile, automatically thinking that he won’t be a good fit for their family because of how old he is, how he won’t be able to go on adventures with the family, grow with them. Apart from that, Sierra also mentioned that people think about his medical costs when meeting him and learning about his health. It’s sad how difficult it is for some dogs to be adopted and how theres preconceived notions about each one.
I came out of PetSpace thinking about Sierra’s answer to my last question. “Breed Bias”. What can we do in order to get rid of that in society? What can we do to remind and promote the idea that humans should be adopting pets not just for companionship but also to help the animal. Whether that could be educating potential dog owners more about those stereotypes and how their wrong, to possibly showcasing just the dog’s personality/characteristics as opposed to their physical features on their profile.
My last thought was how interesting it was that every little detail that could provide the animal with a stress free experience was there. PetSpace thinks ahead and has planned everything to ensure the transition the pet would experience from the Space to their new home will go smoothly. The Space consists of the animals needs, from physical, to mental as well as emotional. As you can see from both pictures and my story, everything that PetSpace has to offer serves a purpose to better the animals and to better their bond with humans. However, there is always more that we can do, we just need to figure out what that is.
Till next time!