Down To Earth In Rancho Santa Fe

by John Lamb

Mention the rustically well-heeled community of Rancho Santa Fe at a dinner party, and you’ll likely be remembered as the rube who kicked off one of two possible topics of conversation: maybe rural mansions, most likely UFO-chasing cultists.

Well, we here at Unleashed are only happy to expand your knowledge of San Diego County’s wealthiest community by tipping our hat to perhaps the finest gift yet bestowed upon the world from what the locals call "The Ranch" — the HELEN WOODWARD ANIMAL CENTER.

Nurtured from a bean field by a down-to-earth California native who dedicated her life to the relationship between mankind and its four-legged counterpart, the ever-modernizing center has gained a reputation as one the finest non-profit animal-welfare institutions of its kind nationally.

From the rigorous standards of its acclaimed adoption services to the outstanding quality of its state-of-the-art veterinary and boarding facilities to the compassion of its special-education programs, the Helen Woodward Animal Center has significantly improved the lives of thousands of animals and tens of thousands of people since its doors opened in 1972 as the San Dieguito Animal Care and Education Center.

After renaming the center for its benefactor in 1987, the Helen Woodward Animal Center expanded its offerings in an effort to forge a better bond between humans and animals. Today, the center features an impressive array of services. Consider just a few:

PET ADOPTIONS: One of the center’s original missions, adopting a pet from the Helen Woodward Animal Center is by no means a piece of cake, but it is a service regarded as one of the country’s best. While not as detailed as an FBI background check, the screening process is quite thorough — and quite necessary to match an animal with the best possible new companion. Pet owners wanting to surrender a pet to the center face an equally rigorous screening of the pet’s medical and temperamental history. Most importantly, those dogs and cats accepted to be put up for adoption at the center can rest assured that they will be well cared for until a permanent home is found for them. With spacious quarters and large yards for dog play (even a playroom for cats!), all pets should live so well. Staff members are also available for guidance once an adoption is completed. Top notch!

ANIMAL-WELFARE EDUCATION: The center lives by its motto — "people helping animals and animals helping people" — with an amazing platter of educational goodies, most involving hands-on animal encounters. In addition to group tours, the center is a Mecca for school field trips, scout-badge workshops, and youth group outings, during which specially trained educators use games and "up-close" animal demonstrations to highlight animal behavior, pet-owner responsibilities and proper pet care. The center’s day camp, Critter Camp, introduces young children to the global relationship between humans and animals through games, crafts and hands-on animal experiences. More than 1,000 kids are expected to attend this summer.  Talk about a positive impact!

PET ACCOMMODATIONS: Watch out! If you’re taking a vacation and board your pet at the center’s Club Pet, your pet may wind up having a better time than you!! Dubbed by media types as the Ritz Carlton of boarding facilities, Club Pet promises VIP (Very Important Pet) treatment for your dog, cat, bird, or exotic (even an occasional pot-bellied pig!) — including daily TLC, an indoor carpeted circular dog run, climate-controlled kennels, daily physical/emotional evaluations, and expert veterinary care, if needed. Keep in mind that the profits from Club Pet help support the center’s varied community services, an added bonus.

SPEAKING OF COMMUNITY SERVICES: The Helen Woodward Animal Center may be doing its greatest work in this department. Its Pet Encounter Therapy (PET) program offers around 45 times a month the unconditional love of dogs, rabbits, birds and guinea pigs to those needing it the most, from abused-children’s homes and senior centers to hospitals and psychiatric facilities. Some of these encounters have elicited responses from the physically and mentally challenged — first words ever spoken, or the calming of a hyperactive child — that surprised even the staff at those facilities. Many more organizations await participation in the program, but resources are limited. The center also makes a significant difference in the lives of more than 50 disabled people a month with its Therapeutic Riding program. The students, ranging in age from 4 to 81, work with specially trained horses and staff members weekly to improve balance, muscle development and learning skills. They can even participate in special therapy horse shows! The program is currently serving nearly 70 disabled people each week. A truly awe-inspiring contribution to mankind!!

And that’s just scratching the surface of this amazing center. There’s the state-of-the-art Equine Hospital with Mayo-Clinic-like surgical and diagnostic facilities; the AniMeals program that feeds the dogs and cats of elderly and ill people; not to mention (OK, we will) the countless volunteer opportunities for animal lovers of all stripes.

These services, obviously, do not come cheaply, and while Helen Whittier Woodward was generous to finance construction of the center, she did not leave an endowment for its operating costs. The center receives no government funding, so it relies heavily on tax-deductible gifts from private donors to continue its mission.

For more information on making contributions or on any of its services, take the scenic drive and visit the Helen Woodward Animal Center at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe or call (858) 756-4117. You’ll be glad you did!!