6 Animal Shelters to Close on Fridays

Responding to county budget cutbacks, all six Los Angeles County animal shelters will close to the public on Fridays, including those in Castaic, Agoura and Lancaster, officials said Wednesday.

Although the decrease from six days a week to five will affect those seeking lost pets at the shelter, officials said it will not reduce animal control field services, such as calls about injured or dangerous animals prowling local neighborhoods.

“If you’re looking for a missing animal or looking to adopt one, you won’t be able to do it on Friday,” said Bob Ballenger, executive assistant for the county’s Department of Animal Care and Control.

The Agoura shelter will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays. The Castaic shelter will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, as well as Saturdays. Hours at the Lancaster shelter will be noon to 7 a.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The county has slashed $728,000 from the department’s $10,086,000 budget for the 1993-94 fiscal year, forcing the department to trim shelter operating hours.