A MONO GONE TO THE DOGS

Believe it or not, delivering a Mono to Paws For Life K9 Rescue is the second time we almost returned from a delivery with a new shop dog in tow. After a day of working around all those happy dogs, the fact that we didn’t is something of a miracle.

At this point, it almost feels inevitable that someone is going to come back with some sort of pet. While our adoption of Kendrick didn’t work out, their adoption of the Mono has gone perfectly.

“It’s so cool,” Alex Tonner, president of Paws For Life K9 Rescue, said. “The structure is just beautiful sitting there.”

The second prefab structure on site, the Mono was installed as an office for the dog training facility and to replace the previous sea can office which had significant quality control issues. 

Paws For Life K9 Rescue

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Paws For Life K9 Rescue provides a second chance for both stray dogs and people, through their work with people who were formerly incarcerated and veterans. Their brand new People and Pet Innovation Center, in Mission Hills, California was created to help humans and dogs work better together.

“We are the first in the nation to have a free dog training center available to the public, to anyone who owns a dog,” Alex said.

So, when they contacted us to build an office for their People and Pet Innovation Center we were excited to be part of their vision.

But before they chose to work for us, Alex ended up experiencing every online-buyer’s worst nightmare – a product that looked great online but didn’t match expectations when it arrived.

A False Start

The Innovation Center started life as an empty lot next to an existing pet shelter. Alex’s dream was to create a haven for dogs, with pens large enough for training and plenty of room for shelter dogs to play.

Much of the empty lot was covered with turf as a low-upkeep alternative to grass. Then, large pens were set up with shade shelters to protect the dogs and trainers from the hot Southern California sun.

With the dogs taken care of, Alex had to have an office for trainers and other staff. In the middle of a city with a high cost of living made new construction prohibitively expensive, so Alex turned to prefab, specifically a sea can office that had plenty of glass that would give a great view of the training yard.

But while it looked great in pictures, the product they received didn’t meet expectations.

“When it arrived, the workmanship wasn’t exactly what we were expecting,” Alex said. “The windows didn’t even seal and dust got everywhere.”

Talking to the company didn’t help things either, despite their warranty. So, they covered the windows with another layer of plexiglass to keep the worst of the dust and rain out, and started from square one.

A second stab at prefab

Once again, Alex sat down in front of her computer, hoping to find a company that provided structures as useful as they were trendy. 

After some searching, she came across our social media and was immediately intrigued.

“I started following DROP Structures on Instagram and really liked what they had to offer. From what I saw, DROP Structures had much better quality, and better structures So, we decided to make the purchase.”

After Alex sent an email, Corey responded to schedule a Zoom call where they discussed her needs, and wants for the structure, finally settling on a Mono that gave her plenty of glass so she could watch the dogs playing as she worked. Then, they specified colors and choices and made the order.

“It was the easiest experience I’ve had buying something,” Alex said.

After speccing out her Mono, Alex set to getting the pad poured and made sure all her permits were in place to make the delivery seamless. Then, she contacted the same crane that helped deliver her first, unsatisfactory unit, and scheduled them for this delivery as well.

Simple, quick and clean – an easy installation

Rolling into L.A. with an oversize load will always be something of an adventure.

But, with nothing overhead, and plenty of space for the crane and the DROP Structures truck to park, the area was easy to work from.

Daniel from SoCal Crane (one of the best operators we’ve worked with) was great to work with, showing up early, and placing the unit perfectly. With a skilled team and a clear route, the installation was done in less than half a day, with the front glass looking out onto a pack of newly rescued dogs. 

Outfitting it their way

While the unit is currently in use, Alex has run into some issues outfitting it just the way she wants, as she waits for backed-up vendors to finally get her the furniture she ordered.

But, with a mini-split installed and some temporary furniture in the unit, the Mono provides all-day comfort through the hottest southern California days.

While the interior is not quite where she wants it yet, Alex is enjoying her new office.

“The aesthetics of it, it’s just beautiful. And the construction, even down to the way it’s insulated, is just amazing.”

In fact, she loves it so much, she’s considering installing a second, bigger unit that will house multiple offices.