The Wallis Annenberg Pet Space - half museum, half adoption center

Part of our research for our pet project is to visit the Wallis Annenberg Pet Space. They are our client for the semester who gave us the prompt to increase the human-animal bond with their mission “to promote and strengthen the human-animal bond.” They do this through their interactive half-museum/half-rescue center set up, events for all pet-owners, training sessions, and an education center.

Before sitting down with one of the employees to interview, my group and I toured the unique space. If this rescue center was going to be anywhere, it makes sense they chose Playa Vista. It is modern, playful, open, welcoming, and very nice.

Upon entering the space, a giant dog looks down at you which made me laugh. It shows Annenberg’s playful and creative side. Straight ahead, a large staircase leads to a little grass patch for the dogs to play around on. It was here where all the dogs and cats were housed. The first thing I noticed was the lack of cages. Each dog has their own little room with their own decorations and a glass door so potential adopters can see inside. There were also cat rooms which was such a stress reliever being able to socialize with the cats for 10 minutes.

Plus, each room has their own TV! The TV screen outside of their little home is interactive and such a creative idea. It has an adorable picture of each animal introducing themselves. It has fun facts about them, and fun photos showing them in all lights like running and jumping. I thought this was a great idea considering most were laying around and sleeping in their rooms. The photos show their fun side that attracts more potential adopters. Another creative aspect to these interactive screens was the ability to send the information from there to anyone. It prompts the user to share (insert animal’s name) by phone or email helping to get the word out about them. This increases their chances of being adopted and reminds the visitors about them after they have left the space.

Other fun and interactive aspects I loved about The Wallis Annenberg Pet Space was the slide and human hamster ball. These keep children entertained and having fun while the parents consider the logistics. I personally loved the hamster ball.

My group them interviewed one of the women working there. We sat in the fake grass area and had a helpful conversation about the word The Wallis Annenberg Pet Space does, stereotypes of shelter pets, and how potential adopters can be better prepared and supported. The woman had only worked there for a couple months, and she loved her job.

Key ideas and themes we pulled from this interview were:

* The Wallis Annenberg Pet Space trains the dogs while they are there increasing their adoption rates

· They only use positive reinforcement

· They use hand signals instead of words so the human can use the taught commands

* They have around 10 adoptions per month

* Potential adopters don’t ask the right questions so they don’t know what to expect from certain breeds

* The most successful adoptions are when the human personality matches the animal’s personality

* Most animals are returned to shelters and centers due to a lack of education and lack of proper housing

· Ex: an apartment is too small for a big dog

* Humans can better support rescued animals by:

· Being present and committed to their pet

· Allowing businesses to bring pets into work

· By offering “new pet parent leave” like maternity leave

- The first few days is the most important in bonding

· Society should provide more support for adopters and pet owners

The interview was not as helpful as we hoped in forming our product idea. My group gained beneficial background information about the center and the struggles they have observed, but we were hoping for a breakthrough. Hopefully with more research we will come up with an amazing product to help dog owners everywhere. Currently, we are playing with the idea of a subscription box with treats, toys, and information that adapts as the dog grows up. We’ll see where the idea grows with further research!