West Valley, North Central Animal Shelters Expected To Reopen

CHATSWORTH, CA — This will get some tails wagging. Tentative plans are underway to reopen the West Valley Animal Shelter on March 14, the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services announced Thursday.

General Manager Brenda Barnette said in a letter that the department submitted a draft proposal to reopen all six animal service centers with current staffing, COVID cases permitting. If a spike in COVID cases occurs, reopening may be delayed until the end of April.

The West Valley and North Central Animal Service Centers (located near downtown Los Angeles) were closed April 13, and their animals and staff were reassigned to the city's four open shelters. At the time, Barnette said that the move occurred because there was not enough staff to care for animals at the shelters, and she worried the pandemic would exacerbate this.

"We have 348 employees and several vacancies that we have not been able to fill. Of the 348 employees, 80 are currently off due to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related matters," she wrote in a news release, noting that if any staff are exposed to COVID or tests positive, they and everyone around them would need to quarantine for two weeks. "In short, this scenario could have resulted with an Animal Services Center full of animals with not enough staff to provide the care these animals need and deserve."

In June, Barnette announced a controversial plan to turn the West Valley Shelter into a community resource partnership with New Hope Rescue Partners, a private organization that helps place shelter animals into foster homes. The center would partner with different rescue organizations to provide services like spaying, neutering, wellness exams, training, and microchipping at their own expense.

Critics countered that the shelter already offered those services, and that Barnette was exaggerating the shelter's budget crisis. They also pointed out that the West Valley Shelter is the only city shelter with air conditioning in its kennels, and room for horses and large animals, and if it closed or downsized, a large portion of Los Angeles would be underserved.

"We would like to know why the employees of the city of Los Angeles cannot staff the West Valley Shelter, and do the job that's been given away to community organizations," residents said during a July community meeting.

But now the West Valley Shelter remains intact. Barnette announced that the shelter will operate with certain limitations, including masks and social distancing; adoptions by appointment only; limited counter service; no general public access; and possibly different hours of operation.

Barnette also said that staff are working on a plan to bring back limited numbers of volunteers, who will maintain strict COVID safety protocols, work in two-hour shifts, and avoid other staff members.

"The success of reopening these two shelters will fall on DAS shoulders and require teamwork and community cooperation," Barnette wrote. "If we are successful in following the strategies we developed during COVID - including new community partnerships - developing new strategies to help animals and the people who love them, this will be a win for the animals and for the communities we serve."

Councilmember John Lee applauded the move. "While there are still a few issues that need to be resolved, I want to thank so many who joined my fight to reopen West Valley Animal Shelter," Lee wrote on his Facebook page. "Re-opening this facility as a City-operated animal shelter was a top priority. Without this shelter the San Fernando Valley would be left with only one animal shelter for intake, surrender, and other animal issues."