Artist rendering of the soon-to-open South LA Animal Shelter
We loved this article in the LA Times that describes South LA's planned new animal shelter, because it describes in great detail the architect's thought process and reasoning behind the building's unusual features-unusual that is for an animal shelter. The nine million dollar shelter, which was scheduled to open in July, then early fall and now mid-January 2013, was designed with both the animals and the people who would be "shopping" for them in mind. The architect, Rania Alomar, has extensive experience in both retail design and various animal facilities and "through her design, Alomar is, essentially, marketing the animals." "You have to change your viewpoint and look at things from the dog's point of view...you have to enter their world," she says.
We think this innovative design is remarkable, and we'll check back to see if the way a place looks and feels to both it's temporary inhabitants and to the "shopping" public, really does make a difference in a shelter's euthanasia rates. In the meantime, let us know what your local shelter looks like-anything like this one? And do you know its euthanasia rate?
P.S. Stay tuned for a new giveaway coming in the next few days: an autographed copy of Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by one of our favorite writers, Susan Orlean. Parental Unit absolutely loves this book!
