Closer Shelter for Strays to Save City Money

Unclaimed stray animals will soon be taken to a private shelter nearer to Manhattan Beach than the public facility now used. The move, which goes into effect July 1, is intended to simplify the check-in process and save the city money.

Under the new contract, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the week, animal control services will transfer strays to a shelter managed by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Hawthorne, instead of the Los Angeles County shelter in Carson, which is about nine miles farther away.

Details on how much the new contract will save the city are not yet confirmed, but it will be a "significant difference," said Manhattan Beach Police Lt. Andy Harrod.

Also included in the new contract is more SPCA-led training for Manhattan Beach animal control officers, supplementing the six-month training they already receive. SPCA instruction will keep officers on par with national standards for taking animals into custody, placing them with adoption agencies and investigating crimes of animal cruelty.

The process of checking in animals will be streamlined at the SPCA shelter. At the Carson shelter, police entered data about the animal into a password-protected system. Because police infrequently transferred animals to the shelter, passwords were quickly outdated. The SPCA shelter has a handwritten system for documenting animals, so the procedure should move faster.

About 95 percent of animals picked up by Manhattan Beach animal control services are returned to their owners, adopted by someone or given to a rescue organization, Harrod said.

When police pick up stray animals, they first check for traceable IDs, such as a microchip or tag. A photo of the animal is then posted on the police lost and found website. The animal is held in a kennel for up to five days. If no owner comes to claim the animal within the five days, police will try to find someone to adopt it or give it to a rescue organization. Transferring animals to a shelter is a last resort, said Jason Sandoval, animal control officer.

"Unfortunately, if they have to go to a shelter, they will," he said. "Most animals get reunited safe and sound."

Located at 12910 Yukon Avenue in Hawthorne (just south
of El Segundo Boulevard and east of Prairie Avenue), the SPCA center is open
Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. For more information, call 310-676-1149.