2:28pm | We’re udderly jazzed about an idea we just came up with. We decided that every year, we’ll choose a humane organization or project and request donations until the following year.

To begin our project, we’ve chosen Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS), which occupies the shelter side of the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 Spring St. in Long Beach. ACS is a worthy recipient because of the number of projects it has in operation for animal welfare and also because of the number of cats, dogs, rabbits and the occasional wandering horse that have been dumped by their owners, found wandering the streets looking for food, or born by the score and brought to the shelter to get a home. It’s up to the shelter staff to make them comfortable and healthy and to find forever homes for as many of them as possible.

You can choose your donation to fund any one of the following ACS programs: the Animal Care Trust Fund, the Dr. Loren Eslinger Spay/Neuter Fund, the Pet Literacy program (great activity to join in with your other family members) or the Wish List. The shelter has a special fund through the Make a Difference program for comfy Kuranda Beds, which are comfortable for both dogs and cats and also fit beautifully into cages right over the cats’ litter boxes. Drop by the shelter kennels to see beds that are already there in the kennels. There’s also a donation category for quality toys, fun for the pets and good socialization tools that help make the animals ready to adopt.

Donating to ACS would be a worthy project for scout troops, classrooms and clubs. Click here for the full list and links for donation categories. Make your check out to Long Beach Animal Care Services, write on the memo line to which fund you want your donation to go, and send it to Kate and Judy, Pet Post, 1077 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., #133, Seal Beach, CA 90740. Include your name or dedication and how youGraphic by Michelle Manion’d like it listed on the Pet Page. If you prefer to make an online donation, click Online Donations on the general or specific donation page. However, because ACS is city run and there’s a privacy issue involved in sharing donor names with anyone outside the entity, we’ll have no access to your name. You can always e-mail us with your dedication and the amount donated.

Remember, the shelter can use old sheets and towels for comfort in the birthing centers.

We’re not trying to be Bossy, but we think it would behoove you do donate to Cash Cow. Chew on the idea and then give what you cud. Do pardon the deliberate error in tense, but we tend to milk a pun for all we can.Graphic by Michelle Manion

Virtually Pets

Chata
She’s not meaner than a junkyard dog, but according to her rescuer, that’s what she is. Chata was rescued from the Wilmington car repair shop area where she was apparently dumped and is now with a temp foster. She’s not mean at all. She loves kids and is great with other dogs (but keep her away from cats!). She’s also very verbal and talks nonstop.

Chata is about 2 years old. She must have belonged to someone because she knows how to sit, lie down and shake on command. Her coat is a beautiful white with brown spots, and she probably weights about 55 pounds. She’s spayed, up to date on shots and microchipped. What more could you want.

Watch Chata on YouTube by clicking here. If you want to meet her, contact [email protected]. If a rescue can take Chata, there will be a donation!

Pet Projects

Long Beach Parks, Recs and Marines Recruiting for ACS Manager
The City of Long Beach is seeking qualified candidates to lead its animal care and control agency. The vision of the Animal Care Services Bureau is to make Long Beach the safest largest city in California for people and animals through a proactive approach to public safety and the humane treatment of animals. The Bureau provides animal rescue and shelter services for five cities and nearly 600,000 residents in the Long Beach area. For more information, click here. Submit a letter of interest, resume, salary history, and three work-related references, by 4:30 p.m., Friday, August 26, to Kenneth M. Campbell, Personnel Officer, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, 2760 Studebaker Rd., Long Beach, 90815. Click here for our Facebook page.

ACS Urges Caution Regarding Bats

The L.A, County Department of Public Health is cautioning the public against handling bats or other wildlife. The Department has identified 12 rabid bats throughout the county since the beginning of the year. On average, eight to 10 rabid bats are detected annually.

“These numbers do not mean that the public should become alarmed,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, director of Public Health and Health Officer. “Most bats do not have rabies; however we want everyone to be aware of what they should do if they see a bat on the ground or if they or their pets come into contact with a bat.”

Take the following actions and precautions regarding bats:

  • Although a bat may not be rabid, one found on the ground or in a home may be sick, and all contact with the animal must be avoided. Bats are a federally protected species, and it is illegal for the general public to kill or harass one.
  • If a person or a pet has direct contact with a bat, the bat should be tested for rabies. Place a box or container over the bat and immediately call your local animal control agency for instructions.
  • Do not handle or attempt to rescue a sick bat or other wildlife. Contact your local animal control agency for instructions.
  • Children should be taught to avoid all contact with bats and other wildlife.
  • If you engage in any activity in the wild, be sure that everyone in your party avoids all bats you see.
  • If you are bitten by wildlife, immediately call your doctor or health care provider.
  • Make sure your pets’ vaccinations are up-to-date whether they are indoor or outdoor pets. Unvaccinated pets that come into contact with a bat may need to be euthanized or quarantined for up to six-months at the owner’s expense. The pets also may be at risk for rabies infection.

Volunteer for FOLBA Fair and WALK
Volunteers are needed for the Friends of Long Beach Animals Pet Appreciation Fair and WALK for the Animals, to take place Oct. 8 in Eldorado Park. Help is needed in such areas as registration, entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, food, logistics, sponsors, parking, signage, first aid, pet contests, goodie-bags and the WALK itself. For information, e-mail [email protected].

A Little Bird Told Him…
We get e-mails from our readers, and our most loyal reader—Dan Lubienewski, aka Bird Man—sent us a particularly touching one. His neighbor had come to his door with two 20-pound bags of rice and an ornate cedar flute. A woman had asked the neighbor to present Bird Man with these gifts. He was ecstatic over the rice for his feathered friends and a bit bemused about the flute, but he soon made sense out of it. “It’s kind of funny, really, because I do feel like the Pied Piper of Pigeons, the way they follow me all over town,” he said. There was also a beautiful handmade card that a child had done that showed our pal Dan Crayola’d next to a tree, with nine flowers floating above him and a pigeon on his head. The caption described Dan Kafkaesquely morphing into a pigeon. The note, embellished with a floral heart and apparently from the woman, read, “Dan, here is a small offering for the beautiful work you do in saving underappreciated lives. Thank you for touching the world with your compassion.”

“The only sad part of all this is it does not  tell me who it is from,” Dan wrote. “So please, if anybody out there knows who dropped this off, please let me know, as I would really appreciate it.”