Shelter has lots of heart
By Lois Koch Special to The Acorn

If you're like most people, you are probably concerned about what happens to animals whose owners are no longer able to care for them and those that are found running stray in the community.

In the city of Agoura Hills, the L.A. County Animal Shelter on Agoura Road is often on the receiving end of these homeless pets.

What many in our community may not realize is the level of loving care these animals are given by shelter employees and volunteers. The shelter has 48 indoor/ outdoor kennels affording the opportunity to house most dogs in individual kennels while they await return to their owners or adoption into a new family.

Shelter management, staffers and volunteers network constantly with the community and with animal rescue groups to find homes for as many animals as possible.

Many individuals in the community and from surrounding areas volunteer on a regular basis so the dogs housed at the shelter get multiple walks and play time in outside play yards almost every day. A "real room" has been set up so that dogs can be taken inside for extra attention or to interact with potential adopters in a homelike setting.

In addition to working with rescue groups, volunteers take as many animals as possible to adoption events countywide. This year alone, participation in more than a dozen adoption events resulted in several dog and cat adoptions.

Animals that are ill or recovering from necessary medical care and those that need additional training or socialization time are fostered by volunteers and staff in their own homes until they are returned to good health. They are then made available for adoption through the shelter. Volunteers also help to transport animals to areas outside the L.A. County area when a loving home is found elsewhere.

The community of Agoura Hills, along with the other Agoura shelter service areas including Malibu, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, and some unincorporated county areas, also show their generosity in the form of donations.

In the past month, two youths in the community used their bar and bat mitzvahs as an opportunity to collect donations of blankets and other supplies to donate to the shelter. Due to their kindness and that of other members of the community, the shelter animals have warm blankets, toys to play with and treats to eat.

In April, a county volunteer event sponsored by the Los Angeles mayor's office was held at the shelter. More than 70 people from the community (not shelter affiliates) spent the day on various projects, painting and refurbishing the shelter's facilities.

"The combined efforts of a staff, dedicated volunteers, and the support of the community's citizens has enabled the Agoura Animal Shelter to become and remain an extraordinary shelter program," said Shelter Manager Denise Rosen.

"Animals housed at the shelter are the beneficiaries of this support thus allowing us to make their stay at the shelter as pleasant as possible," Rosen said.

The Agoura Animal Shelter is at 29525 Agoura Road and can be reached at (818) 991-0071. Hours of operation are Mon., Tues. and Thurs. through Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wed. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and holidays

Lois Koch is an Agoura Hills resident and a volunteer at the Agoura Animal Shelter.