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Hospitality · Rescue and café · Los Angeles
A shelter that feels like the beach
The essence
The Happy Dog Project is a Los Angeles nonprofit dog rescue that rescues dogs from kill shelters and trains and socializes them for lasting adoptions. Its home pairs an adaptive reuse warehouse with new construction: a rescue, a two-story café with a rooftop lounge, dog lounges and an event space. Sara Alexander served as lead interior designer on the project at QA.
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Type
- Nonprofit dog rescue and café
- Scope
- Adaptive reuse and new construction
- Role
- Sara Alexander, lead interior designer at QA
The story
Rescued dogs deserve an active life
The Happy Dog Project is reinventing pet adoption from the ground up. Its mission is to rescue dogs from kill shelters and give them the training and socialization that make a successful, lasting family placement more likely.
The concept grew from a simple idea: rescued dogs deserve an active life, out surfing, skateboarding, hiking and walking through the neighborhoods that welcomed them. The design team drew on the surf and skate culture of nearby Venice Beach and Santa Monica and brought that laid-back coastal energy into an adaptive reuse warehouse and new building.
The result reimagines what a dog shelter can be. A café and dedicated dog lounges invite visitors to relax with the dogs and give them the attention they need to thrive. The two-story café, with its rooftop lounge, sits next to the shelter and a flexible event space, making it a true hub for Los Angeles dog lovers.
The project
Inside Happy Dog Rescue + Café
The program
- Dog rescue
- Two-story café
- Rooftop lounge
- Dog lounges
- Flexible event space
- Adaptive reuse warehouse
Credits
Lead interior designer: Sara Alexander, at QA
Architecture: QA
Client: The Happy Dog Project
Questions
Good to know
What is the Happy Dog Project?
The Happy Dog Project is a Los Angeles nonprofit dog rescue that takes dogs from kill shelters and trains and socializes them to improve their chances of a lasting adoption.
What was Sara Alexander's role?
Sara Alexander, founder of The Scale Collective, served as lead interior designer on the project while at QA, the architecture firm behind the adaptive reuse.
What inspired the design?
The surf and skate culture of nearby Venice Beach and Santa Monica, and the idea that rescued dogs deserve an active life outdoors.
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