ACS public health associate Debra Brubaker administers treats to two of the many purebred dogs abandoned to the shelter.
3:08pm | The clear message given by Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) director John Keisler and other speakers at the Jan. 24 Annual Open House was that the shelter has traveled impressively far from its days as a beleaguered animal holding camp but there’s still so much left to be done.
“We’re moving in a positive direction, but we still need all your help,” Keisler said during his presentation of the accomplishments that have been made in 2009 and the goals that he and his staff hope to accomplish in the continuing effort to make Long Beach the safest city for people and animals.
Tours of the shelter grounds were offered and included a view of the newly constructed Martha Workman Play Area for dogs.
Three-legged ACS mascot Tippy tries to decide how to maneuver the toy hydrant in the new play area.
LBFD’s Rex, here with firefighter paramedic Wade Haller, is an urban search-and-rescue fire dog and is in training for FEMA search and rescue.
And there were dogs and cats in kennels, cottages and play areas, irresistible in their playfulness, poignant looks and pleas for attention or love. Upping the number of adoptions, lessening euthanizing of pets, and involving the community in helping to improve the quality of life for all animals in communities served by ACS was the topic of discussion at the Open House presentation.
“I’m very impressed with what I see,” said L.A. visitor Jennifer Sullivan, who works with L.A. Derby Dolls doing community service and hopes to sponsor an adoption event.
Which one? Mmm… two’s company… but I can’t leave that third one here by himself…
Speakers for the presentation included Keisler, Quigley, Health and Human Services Director Ron Arias, FOLBA Board member John Gonzales, Long Beach Spay and Neuter co-founder Lorraine Fishman, and Kate, who was actually channeling Judy who was home nursing a cold and was scheduled to speak about ACS’s accomplishments and goals. Community activist Justin Rudd had been scheduled to speak, but did not attend because of the passing of his beloved pet, Rosie the bulldog. Arias honored Keisler and Quigley, who performed “nothing short of a miracle” in the two years since Keisler took over as director.
According to Judy, who is the legislative committee member for ACS’s Pets Always Worth Saving (PAWS) committee, progress in 2009 has included increased connection and input from the community in the areas of passing local legislation and program development, publication of articles on the Pet Post and other media outlets, and the city council’s strong support of animal welfare-related issues, particularly spay and neuter. Legislative accomplishments include improvement of leash laws, mandatory microchipping for impounded animals, introduction of an administrative citation process for handling animal-related violations, revision of city’s code to define pet ownership as “person responsible,” giving the city a concrete definition of owner responsibility; and the first city-run spay/neuter vouchers program, renamed the Dr. Loren Eslinger Spay and Neuter Fund in memory of the veterinarian who gave so much of her time to make shelter animals healthy and, as a result, happy and adoptable.
“Again, the vet is the one who helps,” Quigley said. “And, we have gotten creative on our adoption site. When the evaluation date [for an impounded animal] is over, we adopt some through FOLBA, AMRT [Animal Match Rescue Team] and others.”
One of the most creative accomplishments in adoption as well as all areas of the shelter is the adoption of the aforementioned Chameleon software product. Every aspect of the shelter is there—diagrams of kennel occupation, abuse cases, lost pets, veterinary information, shelter- and owner-animal information, licenses, adoption-ready animals, and even houses in which vicious dogs reside—and it’s updated hourly. The information will be carried in animal control vehicles and will make information retrieval much faster and better organized.
“Until we got this, everything was done by paper,” Cranston said. “Now, everything is documented. [With the lost pet information], rather than bring an animal to a herd environment where he can catch something, they can be immediately returned to the owner.”
Techie Richard Cranston demonstrates the new Chameleon software.
Cranston added that the shelter plans to add microchip technology to the vehicles. Along with this, 2009 goals as reported by the PAWS committee include reducing the euthanasia rate through proactive, preventative approaches; expand the spay-neuter efforts, including city council financing for a full-time vet and a city-run mobile clinic or permanent facility; pass legislation to hold pet owners accountable by increasing licensing and microchipping, cats included; and expanding volunteer and donation efforts, particularly for the comfortable and space-efficient kuranda beds.
“We have a lot of room for improvement, but we’re on the right track,” Arias said.
The impressive 2009 track record limned by Keisler in a PowerPoint presentation includes accomplishments in field services, investigation, customer support (with 39,500 dog licenses managed), general animal and veterinary medical care (11,700 animals evaluated by a vet), four emergency prep drills, training and administration. Most significant were the comparative data regarding impounds, euthanasia and adoption: 41 percent live-release rate in 2009, up five percentage points from 2008; 4,679 animals reclaimed by their owners, up 452; steady decline of impounds, 11,386 in 2009, compared with 11,707 in the previous year; and a steady euthanasia rate decline—6,561 animals put to sleep in 2009 as opposed to 7,498 in 2008. Most data showed improvement since 2005, with a slight drop in redemption increases between 2007 and 2008. The euthanasia rate was the most significant of all and was the subject that generated the most discussion during the open house.
“Ultimately, we’re not happy with this trend,” Keisler said, explaining that any euthanasia is “a waste of time and makes people not want to do the job.”
Spaying and neutering domestic animals—cats, dogs, rabbits and rodents—is seen as the most directly effective way to control pet overpopulation and limit euthanasia.
“The most frustrating thing we have is overpopulation of animals,” said John Gonzales. “The numbers continue to climb, and spay/neuter is the top way.” Gonzales, besides being a cofounder of FOLBA, has managed and worked in animal shelters for 32 years, is president of the Animal Care Foundation (ACF) and volunteers at the Aquarium of the Pacific (he considers the neutering of fish ill-advised). He explained that there is a supply of vouchers made possible by FOLBA and other organizations, but that spay/neuter education for the public is necessary to make them effective. Training and equipment for the staff is also mandatory, he said.
“You could have a building like the Taj Mahal, but it would be nothing without an effective staff,” he said.
Keisler applauded Justin Rudd’s Haute Dog Fix Canine Spay and Neuter Voucher Program, which so far has contributed two donations of $16,000 each for vouchers for fixing dogs. Cats, however, remain the most euthanized animals, with statistics generally reporting about 70 percent of cats as opposed to 50 percent of dogs.
Lorraine Fishman, an outspoken feral cat advocate, was scrambling for funds for her trap/neuter-spay/release program and was frustrated by lack of support until ACS, under Keisler, provided vouchers.
“Now, we have a manageable way to spay,” Fishman said. “Thank you, John and Michelle, for improving this place 100 times and forming a partnership with us. Years ago, I couldn’t talk about this place—it was a death sentence. But euthanasia still means ‘kill.’ This is unacceptable, and we want to stop this.”
Fishman said that 4,600 cats will be killed this year and that the public needs to be educated about altering their cats and not dumping unwanted animals on the street or in colonies. She also hopes that the money raised by cat licensing, if legislation passes, goes to fund spaying and neutering of ferals. To help prevent more feral animals, she wants the present laws strictly enforced.
“People don’t know that it’s against the law to have an unaltered cat anywhere,” Fishman said.
Keisler, staff and community have a lot to be proud of in their work to improve the quality and length of life for Long Beach animals, but they aren’t rolling down their sleeves anytime soon.
“We’ve made such progress, but we’re not done yet,” Keisler said. “As a community, we have to become more responsible.”
More town hall-style meetings are planned. To donate to the spay/neuter funds or provide items on the Wish List, click here.
Gimme shelter.”
–The Rolling Stones
Virtually Pets
These Rottweiler-mix female pups were born on Nov. 2 and promise to be large. They have webbed paws, so they are most likely mixed with some sort of water dog. Both have been spayed and had their first round of shots, and have all their paperwork. They are used to kids and other dogs and good with walking on a leash. They learn very fast and already know “sit.” They need a home with a large enclosed yard where they will be brought in from at night and be an active part of a family. Stella (the one with the white markings on her face and white feet) is very loyal and quick to learn. She is mellow, tolerant of cats, and doesn’t get too excited. She loves to learn and to be close to people. Ruby is playful and a snuggler. She is into puppy mischief a lot and is so adorable! She loves to be loved—a lapdog trapped in the body of a bear cub. Interested? E-mail [email protected].
Just one of the many strays picked up by ACS, Hunter was quite shy and kept to the back of his cage. He should have been named Frank Sinatra because of his beautiful blue eyes [the auto-fix on the red-eye didn’t quite do it]. He is only about a year old and is now neutered, microchipped, up to date on shots and looking for his forever home.
Friends of Long Beach Animals thought he would have a good chance of adoption at Bixby Animal Clinic, 3938 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, (562) 426 4066. He does have a couple of applications for him already, so if you would like to adopt him, you need to act fast—Friends is looking for the perfect home for him.
Pet Projects
Ongoing, Support Disaster Relief for Haiti’s Animals
The disaster relief team from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has hit the ground running to help animals stranded there without relief. When you make your donation to the humans suffering there, please save some for the animals as well. Click here to contribute to the HSUS Disaster Relief Fund.
Jan. 28, Remembering Rosie
Photo by Samuel Lippke
Join Justin Rudd, his family and friends in honoring his beloved companion, Rosie, who passed away at around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 24. The memorial will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at the Long Beach Dog Beach, 1 Granada Ave., in Belmont Shore. Parking will be free during the event. Rosie came into Justin’s life when his then-partner, Frank Groff, brought Rosie home as a surprise in early January while Justin was at work.
“Rosie was 4 months old,” Justin said. “I immediately fell in love with Rosie.”
Until her passing, Rosie’s immediate family included Justin’s partner Ralph Millero and bulldog brother Riley. Her extended family includes all who joined Rudd and the good things his organization has done for Belmont Shore and the rest of the world.
Click here to read John Canalis’s beautiful eulogy in the Press-Telegram.
Jan. 30, Vaccination Clinic
The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA-la) will hold a vaccination clinic at the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, (562) 570-7387. There will also be a license clinic and vaccination for Seal Beach resident animals.
To Feb. 12, Valentine’s Card Contest for Abused and Abandoned Shelter Pets
Haute Dogs and Justin Rudd! are sponsoring a Valentine’s contest that will benefit shelter pets in Long Beach. The contest seeks Long Beach-area students (K–12) to create lovable Valentine’s cards for the dogs and cats housed at ACS shelter. Cards from adults are encouraged, too, but will not be judged in the contest. Neat project idea for classrooms, scout groups, church youth groups and other organizations. Mail cards or hand-deliver to Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St, Long Beach, CA 90808, on or before Fri., Feb. 12. Students should place their name, grade level, teacher’s name and school name on the back of the card. Cards will not be returned. For details on prizes, judging criteria and other details of the event, click here.
Feb. 6, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., “Rest in Show” Fund-Raiser
Photo by Linnea Lenkus
One of Long Beach’s most popular portrait photographers is hosting a fun way to create beautiful memories and help local spay/neuter and humane education organization Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) at the same time. Linnea Lenkus will host the “Rest in Show” dog portrait day and pet food fund-raiser at her local Long Beach Studio, 2699 E 28th Street, # 416, with sittings only $25 plus one 30-plus–pound bag of pet food. You will also receive a free 5-by-7-inch portrait of your precious pooch, and FOLBA will get the pet food and all funds raised from the sittings! Sittings are by reservation only and can be of your dog by itself or a charming portrait of the two of you together. Call (562) 981-8900 in advance to reserve your place.
Feb. 17, Coffee with the Commander
Animal Care Services (ACS) director John Keisler will be the featured speaker at this month’s Coffee with the Commander. Keisler will describe services that ACS provides as well as the responsibilities that Long Beach-area pet owners have to make ACS efforts succeed. Meet up Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at Grounds Bakery Café, 6277 E Spring St. Call the East Division at (562) 570-5880 for information.