The Wallis Annenberg PetSpace opens June 24
By Shanee Edwards
Visitors to the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace may leave with a new best friend
If there’s one thing we know about Playa Vistans, it’s that we love our furry friends. That special bond runs even deeper come June 24, when the revolutionary Wallis Annenberg PetSpace celebrates its long-awaited grand opening.
If you’re scratching your head wondering what a “PetSpace” is, Annenberg Foundation Executive Director Cinny Kennard gave us this explanation in a recent interview: “The Wallis Annenberg PetSpace will be a unique new community engagement center focused squarely on helping people understand the mutually beneficial and dynamic bond between people and their pets, as well as the origins and science of that relationship.”
In other words, the 30,000-square-foot facility within The Collective at Playa Vista is an interactive museum, pet adoption center, community gathering space and academic institution all in one. It’s meant to be an exciting place for humans and animals to connect, strengthening interspecies bonds through interactive technology, hands-on workshops and plenty of playtime.
Plush adoption suites will house up to 80 dogs, cats and rabbits — all rescues from local animal shelters — in maximum comfort at any given time, with visitors and potential pet parents able to take the animals out to play in an indoor recreation area.
The PetSpace also has an academic component to its mission and will host special events to advance the study of companion animals. It recently convened experts from around the world at the Sunnylands — the former Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, known as “the Camp David of the West” — to discuss the science of the human-animal relationship, avenues for future study, and related public policy issues.
The grand opening celebration will be focused on family fun, with food trucks, kid-friendly activities, and behind-the-scenes tours. Visitors can also test out the PetSpace’s human-powered hamster wheel and be among the first to see its giant animatronic cat and dog.
The Wallis Annenberg PetSpace is located at 12005 Bluff Creek Drive, and the grand opening celebration is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Admission is free. Parking is available at The Brickyard (12126 Waterfront Drive), with shuttles running to and from the PetSpace.
As pet-friendly as the PetSpace is, visitors are asked not to bring their own pets in order to ensure the well-being of the animals awaiting adoption.
For more information, call (424) 384-1801 or visit annenbergpetspace.org.
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