COVID-19 Program Updates and Resources
Resources
Support Los Angeles Shelters and Rescue Groups Amidst COVID-19
Pets and COVID-19: What You Need to Know
COVID-19 Resources for Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups
CDC Guidelines for Protecting Yourself From COVID-19
Monday, March 23, 2020
For the foreseeable future the NKLA Pet Adoption Center is closed to the public. This includes appointment-based adoptions. If you are interested in adopting a pet from NKLA, we welcome you to fill out an NKLA DOG or NKLA CAT adoption survey and a staff member will be in touch with you via phone or email to advise next steps. Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support for the animals of Los Angeles during these unprecedented times.
The Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Mission Hills is also closed to the public. However, the team will continue to move animals directly into fosters’ and adopters’ homes with the help of technology, greatly reducing personal contact.
To help the animals of NKLA/Best Friends in L.A. and/or your local rescue or shelter, visit the following resource pages:
Foster for NKLA/Best Friends L.A.
Support Los Angeles Shelters and Rescue Groups Amidst COVID-19
Friday, March 20, 2020
In light of Governor Gavin Newsom's Safer at Home emergency order for residents of California, we want to assure you that Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles continues to act in real time to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our animals, staff, volunteers and community.
As of today, March 20, we are completely closed to the public which means visitors can no longer access the building or lobby. We continue to place pets in foster homes and encourage you to visit our COVID-19 Resources page for further information and for additional shelters and rescues in need in your area.
We are winding down any operation that is not absolutely essential for the animals in our care and we will continue to share updates as we have them.
Monday, March 16, 2020
L.A. centers shifting to appointment-only
Starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020, adoptions at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Mission Hills and the NKLA Pet Adoption Center in West L.A. will be by appointment-only.
We anticipate that the restrictions in California, and particularly in Los Angeles county, will become more stringent and we need to prioritize the safety of our staff, volunteers and the animals in our care as we head into uncharted territory.
What does appointment-only adoptions mean?
This means that the centers will be closed unless you have an appointment. If you are interested in adopting a pet, please complete our DOG SURVEY or CAT SURVEY to provide us with information about your lifestyle and what you are looking for in a dog or cat. An adoption specialist will be in touch with you within 48 hours to help find a match and potentially schedule an appointment.
Make an adoption appointment at NKLA
What does this mean for volunteers?
In-person, group volunteer training classes have been postponed until further notice unless there is a remote training option. We are also reducing any non-essential volunteer shifts to help lower overall foot traffic.
How can I help the animals?
Despite limiting the number of on-site staff and volunteers, the animals still need your help. We anticipate fewer people will be coming in to adopt pets amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, so foster homes are especially critical right now. If you can foster a dog or a cat for any period of time, sign up and schedule an appointment with Best Friends through our FOSTER page or email our foster coordinators directly at fosterLA@bestfriends.org.
If you do foster a pet, you’ll be able to pick up your foster pet via our "curbside pick-up.” We’ll also provide virtual veterinary appoints, when appropriate, to reduce foot traffic in the centers and to make people leave their homes unnecessarily.
Foster homes are so important because they enable us to take in more animals from our friends at Los Angeles Animal Services shelters and rescue organizations that may be over capacity due to a decrease in adoptions.
So thank you for your interest in fostering a pet and for your unwavering support for the animals. We will continue to post updates as we have them here and on our social media channels.
Facebook: Best Friends Animal Society
Questions or concerns? Email bestfriendsla@bestfriends.org.