CP, an 11-year-old short-haired terrier mix, was surrendered to the Castaic Animal Care Center after her owner died this week.
The first step on her road to being adoption ready was to be given a bath in the center’s new mobile grooming trailer, which was recently donated by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation.
The trailer was unveiled on Tuesday morning at the center as CP was given the ceremonial “first bath.”
“There is nothing more important than the care of our animals,” said Santa Clarita City Councilwoman Laurene Weste, who is also a L.A. County Animal Care Foundation board member. “Here in L.A. County, we’re doing the best we can to give new life, new hope and joy to these animals. This is another major step in getting these animals into their forever homes.”
The trailer will help provide grooming, which although may seem like a luxury, can actually make a huge difference for the animals.
“People don’t realize how important grooming is for animals,” said Marcia Mayeda, director of L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control. “Sometimes we get them in so bad that you can’t even tell what they are with the matting.”
There’s also often underlying medical conditions that the center doesn’t know about until the animal is bathed, according to Mayeda. After they’re groomed, medical staff is then able to find out what’s going and give them the medical care they need.
“Animals tend to suffer in silence,” Weste said. “Underneath the mats, filth, dirt and tangles, many times there are wounds or sores that you can’t see and need to be treated. This allows us to do immediate work right here at the shelter.”
Before the new addition, the center didn’t have a place on the property where they could bathe animals. Now, they have a trailer that is fully equipped with washing tubs, dryers and grooming stands.
“When the animals come in, they are dull and depressed because they feel so horrible,” Mayeda said. “But after a couple hours of TLC, they are a completely transformed animal — it’s just night and day.”
The grooming trailer is mobile to allow for convenient movement to different locations on the property as well as the opportunity to take it to the center’s homeless initiative work or in case of need during local natural disasters like fires to clean ash-covered animals, Mayeda said.
The center will now begin training some of their volunteers to groom the animals, according to Karen Stepp, the center’s manager.
“We’ll be able to do a lot more with this (trailer),” Stepp said. “I’m just so proud of this place and what everyone is doing to help.”
CP and her “brother,” Freeway, who were surrendered together, are both available for adoption. The center is hoping to get them adopted together as they have never been apart.
For more information about the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation or to donate to the cause, visit lacountyanimals.org or call 562-728-4610.
The Castaic Animal Care Center is located at 31044 Charlie Canyon Road in Castaic. For more information on CP, Freeway or any of the other animals available for adoption, visit animalcare.lacounty.gov or call 661-257-3191.
