Last month, officials removed almost 40 cats from a hoarding situation at a small apartment, threatening to overwhelm the shelter, but Long Beach’s animal community came to the rescue.

“The days of locking the family dog in the bedroom with a boring bowl of brown kibble during a party are gone,” Cable said.

“I hate to walk into the shelter and see dogs in cages in hallways because they have no room,” Sherri said. “The shar-pei was left at the dog park, the Frenchie was dropped off, a poodle was dropped off—we’re trying to take as many as we can.”

Pet Food Express has a sort of mixed breed construct, combining chain store with small business.

Pets deserve good times, good outcomes and tasty goodies, too.

“We have regulars who come a lot—they actually love it,” manager Jessica Bellows said. “They like the option of having a dog patio. A lot of people prefer it because it’s a little bit quieter on this side.”

Saturday, Oct. 15, is Pit Bull Appreciation Day.

Long Beach Animal Care Services has 115 dogs under its protection, either in kennels or with fosters; and 75 are larger dogs, between 40 and 70 pounds.

If you want to help save the lives of shelter cats, put on your fanciest slyboots and come to the CatPAWS Chic Chat Soiree gala next weekend!