This past June, the Annenberg Foundation opened its highly anticipated Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, located in Playa Vista. So far, it has had nearly 20,000 visitors and helped hundreds of pets find new homes. The center provides a fun and engaging setting with modern design, standout colors, a human size hamster wheel, open spaces for visitors to connect with the adoptable pets and content about the human-animal bond on the walls. When visitors walk in they are greeted with the Pet Vision Wall, a giant interactive screen on the first floor where they can share stories about PetSpace’s current guests with their friends via social media, or read articles about pet parenting.

As guests continue past the wall, they can enter the Pet Porch or the Wag Shop. The Pet Porch has a two-story slide for kids and seating to enjoy discussions by researchers, educators and partners; while the shop allows visitors to purchase gifts for pet lovers and their animal friends.

Annenberg PetSpace helps relieve pressure on Los Angeles County by taking pets from some of their most populated shelters. The space can house up to 40 dogs, 40 cats and 100 small animals. To Annenberg, age, breed, size and health are not a factor, they look for animals that they are uniquely positioned to help. This may include animals in need of surgery or rehabilitation or who need some behavioral therapy and training before they can find a new home.

ANNENBERG PETSPACE’S UNIQUE ADOPTION PHILOSOPHY

Annenberg PetSpace has a unique adoption philosophy. They house the animals in interactive adoption suites and pair visitors up with Adoption Specialists to make sure they find the perfect pet. The fee for adoption is $80, and covers paperwork and processing, as animal care and facility operations are funded by the foundation.

In addition to adoption services, the center offers educational programs, workshops and lectures for the community in order to help promote the benefits of the human-animal bond. Some events include daily grooming demonstrations, wellness cat food demos, and lectures on ways to avoid animal health issues. For example, the Paws & Pages series helps build children’s reading skills by having them read or listen to a story while spending time with adoptable pets.

Behind the scenes tours help set Annenberg PetSpace apart from other adoption facilities. They are offered daily and give visitors a chance to see animals undergoing surgery.

The center also has Barks + Rec, an outdoor area for adoptable pets to do outdoor training and for adoption meet and greets for potential adopters. On the second floor, there is the Pounce Patio and Fetch deck. This open area is in the center of the room and is used by the staff to demo pet training with the in-house pets.

PETSPACE: A COMMUNITY-ORIENTED CENTER

Annenberg PetSpace acts as a community, education center and leadership institute that features an interactive zone for pet adoption. Visitors can bring in their pets on the public first floor. The adoptable pets stay on the second floor of the PetSpace and each animal room contains an interactive touch screen that allows visitors to learn the animal’s name and specific information on the pet such as its age and weight. The screens also include a brief bio on the animals with information about what the animal enjoys. The animals’ rooms contain a theme and a celebrity quote about the human animal bond. Annenberg PetSpace goes above and beyond by equipping the cat rooms with TV screen that show birds and dog rooms with TVs screening pet-friendly content to help keep the animals relaxed and to mimic a home experience.