Anyone who visited the Uptown Dog Park between its opening in 2009 and September 2017 has surely met Gayle Carter. Gayle was one of these people that you didn’t not listen to. If you weren’t handling your dog correctly, if the dog wasn’t fixed, if you didn’t use one of the little plastic bags that she filled the dispenser with herself, Gayle was on you like a schipperke on a steak. Then, she’d educate you.

Gayle was an honest, generous soul but not a gentle one. She saw the needs of the animals in her community and forged ahead to fulfill them, recruiting a little help from her friends, who never said no—not that they wouldn’t dare (well, there was that, too) but because they knew she had everyone’s back, human or animal.

Gayle was instrumental in establishing several dog parks and improving the Uptown park. District 8 Councilman Al Austin referred to her as an ambassador, and she was. She helped everyone with an animal, especially people experiencing homelessness, with their needs and those of their pets. That included spay/neuter; Fix Long Beach was her go-to resource.

Gayle passed away unexpectedly in September 2017. On Saturday, Austin and District 8 will rededicate Uptown Dog Park in her name (see Things to do, pets to support). In her honor, this week’s Virtually Pets features dogs that Fix Long Beach rescued from the streets and shelters—some of the hardest cases you could imagine—and spared no effort in making them healthy and adoptable. They’ll enjoy romping in the Gayle Carter Uptown Dog Park.

To adopt any of these dogs, email help@fixlongbeachpets.

Big-eared white Chihuahua with sad expression
Bull

Bull is a sweet 18-year-old Chihuahua. He looks so sad. The human he’d known all his life had died, and the family dumped him at the shelter, not knowing what else to do. He will live out the rest of his life in a loving home being cherished. He has severe kidney disease and will receive further evaluation at the vet for any other conditions he may have. Fix volunteers are looking into Just Food For Dogs, renal food for his diet and will also need to treat his arthritis so he isn’t in pain. On top of that, he has a heart murmur and cherry eye, which Fix will monitor. Yes, he’s a challenge, but there’s always someone out there who’s up to it.

two small, fluffy, whitish poodles lying rump-to-rump on a white cushion
Ladybug and Choco

A couple of Fifis for you. Their names are Ladybug and Choco, and they’re 15 years young. Their human entered a nursing home and couldn’t take them. These two are not ready for the sunset themselves—there’s still lots of fun in them. Do you have a golden-years plan for them—lots of playtime, cuddles, and maybe scrapbooking?

small black dog lies long in the grass. He wears a collar.
Buddy

Buddy’s a dachshund mix—he’s 3 or 4 years old and a character. He’s already fixed, vetted, chipped and all that good stuff. He just needs a people.

Speaking of seniors, Abijah and Jessie went home from the shelter to a forever home this week! Woo woo! Thanks again, Emily from Live Love Animal Rescue, for working your magic again!

Things to do, pets to support

Please send any Long Beach or Seal Beach pet-related events or projects to [email protected]. Posting subject to approval.

 Rededication of Uptown Dog Park in honor of animal hero Gayle Carter: Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m., 4600 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, free event.

Gayle Carter, who died suddenly in September 2017, was a tireless, constant animal and community activist. She was the leader of the Uptown Dog Park since its opening in 2009 and formed the Friends of Uptown Dog Park to raise funds for improvements, and she was a presence in the park to educate people about caring for their pets, including spaying and neutering. Her caring heart wasn’t limited to animals; she also helped people experiencing homelessness to care for their dogs and for themselves. It’s only fitting for Gayle to have Uptown Dog Park renamed for her. Please join Councilman Al Austin, his staff and the community to celebrate the life of this singular human. Dogs welcome, of course.

 Furry Friends Faire: Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Los Cerritos Park, 3750 Del Mar Ave., Long Beach, free

Please join the Friends of Los Cerritos and the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association at this terrific family event! Check the flyer for details. You sure don’t want to miss Pet Paw the Great.

Pet Adoption Day at P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village: Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St. at entrance to El Dorado Park, Long Beach, pick your own adoption fee, $5 minimum, with possible additional fees for meds and e-collars.

95.5 KLOS, Subaru and Tito’s Handmade Vodka present Pitchford’s biggest adoption event of the year! Enjoy vendors and a beautiful day with some beautiful cats, dogs and rabbits who need to go home! Dogs must be on-leash at all times. Well-behaved, owned dogs are welcome in the booth area of the Village but must be on leash at all times and current on shots. Cats, of course, should stay at home. All adoption requirements apply. Pick-your-price adoption fees may not be combined with any other discount or offer. Offer is only valid for adoptions processed on June 15.

Paw Tenders Memorial Walk for Jess Bingaman: Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m.–noon, Shoreline Village, 401-435 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach, free.

Friends and supporters of popular dog walker Jess Bingaman will honor her through a “pack walk” from Shoreline Village to the Queen Mary and back, approximately 5 miles. Bingaman and five dogs she was tending were killed when a driver fleeing from police plowed into them with his vehicle. The organizers welcome participants with or without dogs to join the walk. Walkers are advised to bring water and snacks and wear walking shoes. Dogs must be on leashes and kept at a respectable distance from other dogs.

“One of the strongest foundations built between us and the dogs we work with is through a pack walk,” wrote Yasmeen Zenni on the Facebook page dedicated to the walk. “So I thought what better way to honor and thank Jessie for her hard work and dedication by participating in a calm pack walk at a place she loved and frequented the most.

The Pawtenders Memorial Fund for Bingaman’s family is accepting donations at this link.

Fix Long Beach’s ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ Casino Night: Saturday, June 22, 6–10:30 p.m., Cosmic Brewery, 20316 Gramercy Place, Torrance, $20 per ticket, available here.

It shouldn’t be a gamble to see whether Fix Long Beach can spay and neuter as many cats and dogs as possible as well as support the fosters. But it sure can be a neat way to fund the clinics, if last year’s event was any indication! The event includes a burger bar with a vegan option, s’more bar, discounts on beer and wine, and $50 casino cash for full-size craps, poker, roulette and blackjack tables. Come dressed to win in your favorite Western wear, and have fun during the Best Moustache contest; the 50/50 drawing; the silent auction; which includes some amazing trips; and the opportunity drawing. Prizes will go to the biggest casino winners. Tickets are available here.

Fix Long Beach Free CAT Spay/Neuter Clinic: Sunday, May 26, 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St., Long Beach, free spay/neuter for qualifying Long Beach residents, with appointment; free microchips, shots, flea-med doses, dewormers and nail trimmings $10 each—no appointment necessary.

Newborn kittens are the most euthanized pets in shelters. The best way to stop a flood is to tamp the source. Appointments are fully booked, but you can come for standby at 10:30 a.m. Appointments are available for future clinics. Full details are available here.

Open house for the Long Beach Little Paws Kitten Nursery volunteers : Friday, June 7, 6–8 p.m., location TBA.

If you want to learn to bottle-feed and care for neonatal kittens, or if you know how to do it, Little Paws is the perfect center for your interests. Please fill out an application here by June 6.

Foster the Fourth orientation: Saturday, June 29, noon, Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, free

Fourth of July is not a pet’s favorite holiday. Loud crashes and booms from pyrotechnics, “safe,” legal or otherwise, sends them hiding and often fleeing in terror. It’s also not a great time for the shelters—they fill up with lost cats and dogs, some of them injured, and there’s a threat to the other pets already in the shelter because of space constraints. Want to help out? You’d take a shelter pet into your house for only two to four weeks while the shelter locates the owners of the errant animals. This is the third year that Live Love Pets has organized this worthwhile project—hope to see you at the orientation. All

Ongoing

tiny scruffy Siamese kitten
Jellybean, courtesy of Long Beach Animal Services

Bottle feeders needed desperately at shelter, ongoing

This is Jellybean, and he’s eating gruel (think 6-month-old baby human in a high chair). He needs help getting all his food in his mouth and then cleaning his cutie-pie face after he’s finished eating. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Animal Care Services.

This year’s kitten season has been a downpour. Last Saturday, about 40 pets (in one day!) were brought to Long Beach Animal Care Services, and over 30 of them were kittens, many just born. Our shelter and the Long Beach Little Paws Project kitten nursery need help badly and immediately, whether you are an experienced bottle feeder or have never had a cat before. Compassion happens when the rescuing begins—private-message the shelter on its Facebook page with your contact info to help kittens in our shelter, like Jellybean. Please share the post on that page widely. If you’re not in our area, your local shelter kittens need your help, too.

Feline Social Club’s Letter-Writing Campaign, through June 23

Fans of Long Beach’s first cat café who’ve been waiting at the mousehole for it to finally open will be satisfied if not overjoyed to learn that the gears are turning in the right direction. On Monday, June 24, the founders of the Feline Good Social Club will appear before the Zoning Commission for their public hearing. Want to bat along the effort a little? Send an email to [email protected] and state why Feline Good Social Club would be a great addition to Downtown Long Beach! The founders will collect all the emails and share them with the Zoning Commission. Meanwhile, go to the cafe’s website to find out other ways you can help: volunteering, donating, flyer distribution and light-duty construction.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

The following pet-related businesses regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. If you’re a Long Beach-area rescue and don’t see your adoption event listed here, please email [email protected]. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes.

Chase Bank, 5200 East Second St., Long Beach

 Gelson’s Market, 6255 E. 2nd St.

Kahoots Pet Store, 18681 Main St. #102, Huntington Beach

Petco Animal Supplies, Marina Shores, 6500 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach

Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach:

PetSmart Cerritos, 12741 Towne Center Dr, Cerritos

PetSmart Compton, 1775 South Alameda St., Compton

PetSmart Garden Grove, 9835 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove

PetSmart, Long Beach Exchange, 3871 N Lakewood Blvd., Long Beach

PetSmart Signal Hill, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill

PetSmart Seal Beach, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach.

Unleashed by Petco, 600 Redondo Ave.

Donations accepted for Pets of the Homeless

Pets of the Homeless’ home page gives a self-description as the only organization focusing only on providing food and care for pets belonging to homeless people. Businesses and other organizations across the country receive in-kind donations of food and other needs that the dogs and cats’ human families can pick up at outreach locations. The following Long Beach businesses will accept your donations:

Trendi Pawz, 255 Redondo Ave., Long Beach

Belmont Heights Animal Hospital, 255 Redondo Ave., Long Beach

Paw Shoppe Pet Center, Inc., 6416 E. Spring St., Long Beach

Food and supplies are available at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach, Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.; and at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. 3rd St., Long Beach,Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Shelter-enrichment supplies requested for ACS’s cats, dogs and rabbits: drop-off Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., shelter side of P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach

Canned kitten food (Royal Canin), yogurt, beef and chicken broth, pipe cleaners, toilet-paper and paper-towel rolls, catnip, canned pet food, wine-bottle corks (for cat toys) and ice cube trays