Newly Renovated North County Animal Shelter

(Escondido, Calif., Dec. 21, 2005): When the San Diego County Department of Animal Service’s new North County Animal Shelter recently opened on Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, the pooches found a welcome surprise — a large stretch of their very own turf to run and play on. However, this wasn’t your average everyday grass, but instead a rather high-tech improvement on Mother Nature’s design — FieldTurf™, the synthetic turf made famous on so many NFL playing fields each Sunday.

But this turf designed for major sport felds has grown incredibly popular within the pet market. Anyone who has ever had a dog in their home knows why. “Man’s best friend” is no friend of your lawn, as evidenced in the dug-up, stained or just plain dead grass found in the yards of so many pet owners.

Facilities such as animal shelters have also turned to synthetic turf to provide the beauty and appeal of grass without the headaches.

“Our old facility really didn’t have any landscaping before, so an area like this where the animals could come out and play is really a great investment for the shelter,” said John Carlson, regional director for the North County shelter.

The Carlsbad shelter is just one of several animal facilities in San Diego County to install the turf, including the San Diego Humane Society, the Animal Keeper, and the Oceanside Pet Hotel.

The authorized distributor for Field Turf in Southern California is Escondido-based EasyTurf, which has over 1,000 residential installations in San Diego County, with 85 percent of its clientele being dog owners. Besides the aesthetic appeal of a lush, green lawn and the fact that it is non-toxic to pets and kids, synthetic turf is also easier to maintain than a regular lawn. It never needs watering or mowing, and pet urine drains right through and doesn’t stain. Droppings can simply be scooped up or hosed off.

“People love the fact that they can install a new lawn once and then forget about it,” says EasyTurf president Dave Hartman. “Anyone who has ever had to replace dead sod over and over again because of damage done by a pet can attest to the joy of a perfect lawn that you never have to think about.”

“Plus, homeowners know that if this turf can hold up to kennels and shelters that have dozens of dogs on it each day, it can certainly take what their one dog can dish out at home,” added Hartman.

Escondido-based EasyTurf is the exclusive Southern California distributor for Field Turf synthetic turf. The company provides turf for both the residential and commercial markets, with major local installations including Legoland, San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. More info on EasyTurf can be found by visiting www.easyturf.com or by calling 866-EASYTURF.