NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Life just got a little easier for lost and stray animals in Newport Beach, as well as those hoping to adopt a forever furry friend. The Newport Beach Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit in early March submitted by the Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter (FONBAS), moving forward the organization’s plans to provide the city with its first permanent animal shelter. The city previously contracted with other shelters to provide animal care and adoption. But in 2016, that all changed when city council approved opening a dedicated facility. Since then, the shelter has been run out of a rented property in the Santa Ana Heights area off Riverside Drive, staffed and managed by the Newport Beach Police Department’s animal control division and committed volunteers. A Community Effort Led by a dedicated group of community leaders and influencers, including several former mayors and munificent philanthropists, the …