More public-friendly website coming to LBACS?

This cat needs a home - ID number A465348

SALB has asked Ted Stevens, Acting Direct of LB Animal Care Services, to make it easier for the public to adopt the animals that are in the greatest need - those that reside on the Animal Care Services side of the shelter.  Stevens' response was favorable and though it fell short of a firm commitment, SALB has high hopes that he will implement these changes, which can be made at no cost to the city but are an important first step in improving the adoption rate of animals at the shelter. Stayin' Alive Long Beach has asked LBACS to do the following: 


1.  Post a prominent link to a volunteer application and a picture of a cute dog or cat with a link to other adoptable animals on the home page of the LBACS website.  Right now, it is buried deep in the 35th FAQ - trying the patience of even the most motivated potential volunteer or animal adopter.  Making it easy for people to find the animals and to volunteer is an essential step in increasing the adoption rate.

2.  Make LBACS animals "Number One." Move the link to the ACS "adoptable animal photo gallery" to the top of the "how to adopt" page.  Currently, the animals that are slated to be destroyed -- the LBACS animals -- are getting last consideration.

3.  Clarify adoption procedures for LBACS animals. The information about how to adopt from the ACS side is unclear and  increases the public's perception that it is difficult to adopt from the ACS side.  It also does little to encourage the public to adopt the animals that have the greatest need.  The website appears to  encourage adoptions from the SPCA side, and seems to be saying that adoptable animals on the ACS side are not readily available for, or unworthy of, adoption.  Meanwhile, the longer these animals remain on the ACS side, the less adoptable they become (especially the cats).  Calling them cast-offs also creates an unnecessarily negative image.

4.  Increase signage at the shelter.  Have volunteers and/or signs showing people on the grounds that there are adoptable animals on the City side.  Currently, it is not clear that animals are available for adoption on the ACS side of the facility.

Stayin' Alive encourages the public to check the LBACS websitefrequently and contact LBACS to voice your support for making No Kill a reality in Long Beach.

Stayin' Alive Long Beach believes that much of the change we desire as a community can be accomplished by working smarter and harder to find homes for shelter animals - why not take care of the easy things first?

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