There’s nothing quite like seeing our dogs with wagging tails, ready to run, roll, and just be dogs. We have a variety of play yards on our campus, and these spaces are where our pups get to stretch their legs, build confidence, and spend time with our volunteers and staff. That’s why I’m so excited to share a project that’s bringing fresh energy and a lot of love to these special spaces.
We’ve recently completed enrichment upgrades in our play yards coupled with an innovative ground cover pilot project that brings together innovation, sustainability, and community partnership to improve the outdoor spaces our dogs love most. The project includes new agility equipment, benches, and organic ground cover made from locally recycled green waste, all designed to create a safer, more engaging environment that supports both physical and emotional well-being for our dogs as they wait for their forever families.
Why the Change?
Over the years, we’ve done our best to maintain grass in our play yards with natural ground cover, but it’s been an uphill battle. Between constant foot (and paw!) traffic, weather, and high maintenance needs, the grass just couldn’t keep up. That often meant closing yards for reseeding, mowing, or watering, leading to time our dogs couldn’t enjoy the space.
We knew we needed a better solution. So, we teamed up with our amazing partners at OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) to test something new: a high-quality, organic ground cover made from green waste collected from homes right here in Orange County. The material is composted for five months at OCWR’s local composting facilities, meeting all state regulations and the U.S. Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) standards. The result? A safe, sustainable, and soft surface that keeps our play yards looking great year-round with minimal maintenance.
Testing the Best Fit
This pilot project is our way of finding the perfect blend. Each play yard has a different mix of the new ground cover:
The large yard features a medium blend.
Play Yards 3 and 4 have a finer blend.
Play Yards 1 and 2 test a 50/50 mix of both.
Our staff and volunteers who utilize the yards will share feedback through surveys to help determine which blend performs the best for comfort, durability, usability, and overall pup approval!
New Ways to Play and Connect
The upgrades don’t stop at the ground cover. We’ve also added brand-new agility equipment including ramps, tunnels, and platforms that encourage dogs to run, jump, and explore.
We also installed new benches, giving our volunteers and staff comfortable places to sit, relax, and enjoy time bonding with the dogs. After all, these outdoor spaces aren’t just for exercise, they’re vital for emotional enrichment and socialization. By enhancing them, we’re helping dogs feel confident, playful, and ready to meet their forever families.
It Takes a Village
What truly makes this project special is the teamwork behind it. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible collaboration between OC Animal Care, OC Waste & Recycling, Agromin, and Team Rubicon, along with our dedicated volunteers and staff.
OCWR provided organic material, giving new purpose to green waste that would have otherwise been discarded. Agromin, California’s largest organics recycler, donated its delivery services to bring the material straight to our doors. Volunteers from Team Rubicon and our shelter staff and volunteers rolled up their sleeves to spread the ground cover across the yards in a single day, and our staff installed agility equipment and seating to transform the space into something shelter dogs can enjoy for years to come.
Looking Ahead
This project is just one example of how creative, sustainable thinking can make a lasting difference. By improving our play yards, we’re supporting the physical and emotional well-being of our dogs while strengthening our commitment to environmental stewardship.
We are enjoying getting to see how our dogs respond to the new play yards (spoiler: they’re already loving it!). And as always, we’re deeply grateful to our staff, volunteers, and community partners who made this possible.
For more information about this project, including answers to some frequently asked questions: here.
And if you’d like to learn more about OCWR’s free compost and mulch program for residents, visit here.
Together, we’re building a better future, one happy tail at a time.