Carson animal shelter enters final phase of renovation

Gil Moreno, manager of the Los Angeles County animal shelter in Carson, called us this morning to let us know the facility is entering the final phase of the renovation that began in February.

He also wants to get the word out that even though this part of the work entails shutting down the last of the three buildings with dog kennels to do work that will take six weeks, no animals will be euthanized due to the project.

Nevertheless, word spreads fast in the animal rescue community and Moreno said he'd received calls just this morning from concerned animal activists in Alabama, Missouri and Virginia who heard that animals would be put down as a result of the construction.

Moreno said the shelter, built in 1961, is doubling up dogs in the two other buildings while the work continues and shelter staff also are working with other shelters and stepping up mobile adoptions.

"We're doing everything possible" to make sure there's enough room for the animals being taken in, he said.

The work temporarily closes down 48 out of the shelter's 144 dog kennels in order to install new plumbing, lighting and paint. The other two kennel buildings were done earlier in the year.

The project also involves building a permanent "state-of-the-art" clinic onsite to do spay and neutering (right now the county operates a clinic out of a double trailer on the shelter grounds).

The project should be done sometime before the end of the year, he said.

The shelter is at 216 W. Victoria Street. Phone is 310-523-9566.