Local Westside German Shepherd Rescue Celebrates The Arrival Of Its First 60 Tenants With Police K-9 Escort And “Ribbon-Biting†Ceremony

October 28th was a special day for the local Westside German Shepherd Rescue. The day began with a Los Angeles Police Department’s K-9 unit escort followed by a procession of more than twenty cars to transport Westside German Shepherd Rescue’s 60 German Shepherds from a dog boarding facility in downtown Los Angeles to their newly-built state-of-the-art 11,000 sq. ft. facility in Westwood. The procession ended with a 9 a.m. ceremony at the doorstep of the new facility where dogs were brought along a red carpet into their new home following an official “ribbon-biting.â€
The move, organized by Westside German Shepherd Rescue, followed the completion of the organization’s new Westside facility that was officially opened for business in late October.
The new facility, designed in the theme of a Cape Cod home, opening to a boardwalk that is lined by beachside cabins and was financed by a donation from the Ronald and Catherine Gershman Foundation in order to change the way dogs are acquired in California. The impetus for creating the new facility was to create a new approach to dog rescue that will rehabilitate dogs, rebrand the image of rescued dogs and promulgate a new business model that uses intelligence from the medical, behavioral and personality profile of the dogs and from the lifestyle of the prospective adopters in order to create effective matches for new families.
“Our dogs deserve a bright, prosperous and beautiful future and through the tireless efforts of our staff and volunteers, the tremendous generosity of our benefactors and the support of our community, we are able to move them into the future of their dreams,†said Robin Jampol, president and founder of Westside German Shepherd. “The arrival of our dogs into this remarkable facility is not only a milestone for Westside German Shepherd Rescue, but it is also milestone for rescues nationwide.â€
Founded in 2002 by Robin Jampol, Westside German Shepherd Rescue has rehabilitated and “re-homed†more than 4,000 dogs. With the recent donation by Ronald and Catherine Gershman, the organization was able to build a facility that will manage all of the needs their prior boarding facility was unable to. The organization will now have onsite veterinary services, high-tech monitoring and security systems, sophisticated ventilation systems, a noise-free and comfortable environment, extensive behavioral training, as well as play areas and a cat training facility.
“We have an unprecedented opportunity to really make a difference in how animal adoptions are conducted both in Los Angeles and all over the country,†said Ron Gershman, financier and executive director of Westside German Shepherd Rescue. “By creating an alternate approach to the means and methods by which specific breeds of dogs are cared for, and placed, or ‘re-homed,’ we seek to end the distinction between buying and adopting, by elevating ‘dogs in transition’ out of their present-day second-class status and transforming the adoption experience.â€
Westside German Shepherd Rescue’s facility is now in full operation and is located at 1845 Pontius Ave., Los Angeles CA, 90025.