Please send any Long Beach or Seal Beach pet-related events or projects to [email protected]. Posting subject to approval.
Virtually Pets
This weekend, there will be a cat mega-adoption event at the brand-new PetSmart at the equally shiny Long Beach Exchange located near our venerable airport on Lakewood and Carson (see Things to Do, Pets to Support). Over 50 kittens along with adult cats, dogs and bunnies will be there from our shelter and a few rescues. They’re looking for forever homes—maybe they’re looking for you. in the hope of finding loving, forever homes.
That may seem like a lot of kittens, but it’s just a couple of pennies in the kitty from the tsunami known as kitten season. Speaking of bunnies, cats multiply like bunnies, and if they’re not fixed, hundreds of them are born daily and wind up in backyards, dumpsters and places I don’t want to mention. Some are brought into the shelter even if the mothers are in the area. Rescues take as many as they have room for—again, just a drop. The rest die or are subject to euthanasia. If the shelters get too stuffed, older cats may be put to sleep as well.
Shelters have limited funding and human power, although that’s changing slowly for the better at ours. Rescues are also limited in both, and they run mainly on the power of emotion. Emotions strain rescuers to the breaking and shredding points. Financial as well—the number of appeals to the social-media public for funds is surpassed only by the overwhelming number of “Hey, I found a (cat, dog, rabbit, turtle, wombat)” messages—of course, you’ll help me?” Occasionally, rescuers crawl to the bedroom and go fetal. Thankfully for the animals, they get up and get at it again. Thank you, friends.
I’m once again appealing to your own emotions. If you have room in your heart and home for one or one more little pointy-eared friend, please join the shelters and rescues at PetSmart.
The Cat Cove is one of the rescues that will be at the event. Here are some fur folk who’ll be there. All are fixed on or before adoption and have their shots, FIV/FELV tests, flea and deworming treatments, and microchips. To adopt any of them, contact [email protected] or come to the event and meet them all.
Roadie was so named because he was trapped outside a Roadhouse Grill restaurant. Originally thought to be feral, he was neutered, ear-tipped, and slated for release. But then he made it clear that he wanted to be in a home. How could they say no to that face?
So now Roadie’s waiting for his turn at a forever home. Cat Cove think he’s almost 3 years old. He’s a giant puddle of affection—he loves interacting with people or sometimes just quietly hanging out and spending quality time together. He gets along well with other kitties, but not too many, please—he would like to have some of that attention all to himself. He has tested positive for FIV but can still live a long, happy life with good treatment. (The Cat Cove recommends this video to gain a better understanding of FIV-positive cats.)
Born to a feral momma in a good Samaritan’s backyard, Max and Molly were scooped up and converted to the life of pampered house kitties. They are just as sweet as they are cute! They are 3 1/2 months old and total love bugs. They would love to get to go to a new home together.
This weekend, to mitigate the flow of cats, Fix Long Beach and Justin Rudd’s Community Action Team are teaming up for the August 11 Fix Long Beach, and it’s cats only this time. Good news is—we have a full slate, but knowing how difficult it is to herd cats, bring yours along for standby. Fix will give you a voucher for a free treatment if you can’t get on the truck. See details in Things to Do, Pets to Support.
This won’t turn off all the taps for a long time, but an effort’s an effort. And for kitty’s sake, please fix your cat.
As a friend said, the problem is bigger than the solution. However, if you’re willing to keep chipping away at it, here are a few good resources. Please suggest any that I left out.
Information
Support Groups
Vouchers and Free/Low-Cost Spay Neuter
Long Beach Animal Care Services (vouchers provided by Friends of Long Beach Animals and clinic information only; the shelter’s S/N isn’t open to the public)
SNP/LA Veterinary Clinic, San Pedro (call to inquire about feral spay days)
Golden State Humane Veterinary Clinic, Long Beach
Fosters, Bottle-Feeders, Help Needed from the Community!
(CatPAWS and Little Lion present bottle-feeding workshops; see Things to Do, Pets to Support)
Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation
Long Beach Spay and Neuter Foundation
Making Biscuits Cat Adoption and Rescue
(If that seems like a lot of resources, multiply it exponentially—cats X litters X litters X litters X litters… It isn’t.)
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Noddy and Nightingale.
This column is dedicated to the memory of Noddy and Nightingale, two who didn’t make it. They were scooped from a backyard when the mother was out hunting and brought to the shelter. Despite efforts on the part of shelter staff and a rescue, they both died.
Things to Do, Pets to Support
Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic—CATS THIS MONTH, sponsored by Justin Rudd and his Community Action Team!
Saturday, Aug. 11, 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St. at Obispo Avenue, Long Beach
Have your cat spayed or neutered free with appointment and qualifications; vet appointment with voucher, minimal charge for dogs and cats; flea meds $10; shots and dewormer $10 each; nail trimming, $10
It’s now the law to fix your pets in Long Beach and many Southern California cities. It’s also kitten season, still burgeoning and blooming, and crowding shelters with cats and kittens that will likely be subject to euthanasia if a rescue doesn’t pull them or people come to adopt them.
To provide this costly service to our Long Beach residents who otherwise couldn’t afford it, Fix Long Beach offers this service free of charge. The spay/neuter truck will be at Ramona Park on this date to fix cats.
Make an appointment through IM or email at [email protected] for your dog, and include (1) your name, (2) address, (3) phone number, (4) pet’s name, (5) age, (6) sex, (7) breed, and (8) weight, and Fix will see if they can schedule you. You can also come as a standby, but be there at 8:30 a.m.. Make sure that your pet has had nothing to eat or drink past 10:00 p.m. the previous night.
To donate, visit our page. In-kind donations such as leashes, collars and toys can be brought to our event or ordered through our Amazon wish list.
For both spay/neuter and vaccinations, all dogs must be on sturdy leashes and all cats must be in dedicated carriers. Fix thanks you in advance for being responsible for your pet’s health and for helping to reduce shelter overpopulation and euthanasia.
Pet Adoption, Hosted by The Cat Cove
Saturday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m.–4:00 p.m., PetSmart, 3871 Lakewood Blvd. (in new Long Beach Exchange), Long Beach
Free to browse; adoption fees vary
The awwwwww factor is prrrrrominent in the PetSmart lot with over 50 kittens and a few adult cats, too. Dog and bunny buddies will also be joining the party, looking for new homes. Several rescues and city shelter Long Beach Animal Care Services will be there, as will The Moon Cat Café, where the coffee and pastries are surpassed in quality only by the cats inside, will wheel in as well and provide some playtime with kitties. The goal is to adopt out over 100 pets—help them achieve this goal. More information on the event is available here.
K9 Kismet Dog Rescue Fund-Raiser
Saturday, Aug. 11, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., Minx Boutique, 7230 Fenwick Lane, Westminster
Item prices vary
Do a little shopping, pet a couple of dogs, raise some funds—this boutique event is a triple threat! Join us @_shopminx_ for an afternoon of shopping fund-raising fun. K9 Kismet will have some adoptables on-site ready for some belly rubs.
Thai Silk Lunch Fund-Raiser for Fix Long Beach
Saturday, Aug. 18, noon–3:00 p.m., Thai Silk Restaurant, 1506 E. Broadway, Long Beach
Menu prices vary
The generous owner of Thai Silk is donating 15 percent of their lunch money to help fix cats and dogs and make sure that fewer unwanted animals are on the streets and in shelters. Tell everyone that you’re Thai’d up for lunch Aug. 18 but they can sure come along with you!
Music for Mutts (and Cats) Shelter Fund-Raiser
Saturday, Aug. 25, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., SteelCraft, 3768 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach
Free event; in-kind and financial shelter donations requested
Shake your booty and wag your tail to the music of DJ Hell Cat, Natasha Wood, Three Buck Chuck and guitarist Takahito Mori, and help these musical animal lovers rock the shelter, too! Participants are encouraged to bring pet food, treats and toys; towels; dishes; and cash for the animals residing there. Vendors selling food and drink will also be at the event.
Saving Kittens’ Lives workshop and fundraiser, with Kitten Lady Hannah Shaw
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., El Dorado Park West Community Center, 2800 N. Studebaker Rd., Long Beach
Tickets: $39.95; a portion of ticket sales will benefit The Little Lion Foundation https://www.facebook.com/thelittlelionfoundation
If you’re expecting an eccentric cat person raving about kitties, yes. But you have no idea where her whimsies will take you or how much you’ll learn about cat care! Hannah Shaw can captivate an audience the way that little birdie does to the cat on the other side of the window—she’ll teach you how to care for underage, orphaned kittens so that more lives will be saved. Best of all, your ticket purchase will help The Little Lion Foundation do just that as well! Purchase tickets here.
‘Show Us Your Kitties!’ Calendar Contest, benefitting Helen Sanders Cat Paws
To Sept. 30, guidelines here
$10.00 to reserve a date for your cat on the calendar; $1.00 per vote for an entire page, $5.00 minimum starting vote
Want to help Helen Sanders CatPAWS raise money to save cats from public shelters? Submit a photo of your kitty and/or vote for your favorite kitties! Also, because CatPAWS believes in working with other groups toward our common goal of saving more lives, you may designate an organization other than Helen Sanders CatPAWS as a recipient when you enter. If you are one of the top three winners, a portion of the money raised after expenses will go to that group! For $10, you can also reserve a date for your own cat’s birthday. All funds benefit pets.
Pup-Crawl for Dog-toberfest, to Benefit Fix Long Beach
Saturday, Oct. 20, 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Red Leprechaun, 4000 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Tickets: $50; includes drink tickets and appetizer
Hop on The Big Red Bus for all the fun you can handle! Fix Long Beach’s fund-raiser will begin at Red Leprechaun and stop at Malainey’s Grill, Shenanigans and Gallagher’s. Your ticket includes a drink ticket for beer, wine or champagne, and appetizers at one location. Drink sales will continue on the bus for an additional cost. You’ll meet at the Red Leprechaun at 5:00 p.m., The Big Red Bus will pick up at 6:00 p.m., and you’ll return to The Red Lep at 9:00 p.m. The Red Leprechaun will be staying open late for dinner. We are looking for sponsors, so if you know a business or individual that would like to fly their banner on the bus, please email [email protected]. All proceeds will go toward Fix’s goal of spay/neuter and rescue in the LBC.
Ongoing
Pet Adoption Locations
Photo courtesy of Helen Sanders CatPAWS
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].
Petco Animal Supplies, Marina Shores
6500 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach
Helen Sanders CatPAWS permanent adoption center, store hours
Rabbit Rescue Inc., adoptable rabbits daily, store hours
Live Love Animal Rescue, first Sunday of the month, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Unleashed by Petco
600 Redondo Avenue
Foreverhome Pet Rescue, Inc., Sundays, noon–4:00 p.m.
PetSmart, Long Beach Exchange
3871 N Lakewood Blvd., Long Beach
The Cat Cove, Saturdays, noon–4:00pm
Jellicle Cats Foundation, Saturdays, noon—4:00 p.m.
PetSmart Signal Hill
2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill
Kitty Katchers, Saturdays and Sundays, 11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Stray Cat Alliance, permanent adoption center, store hours
PetSmart Compton
1775 South Alameda St., Compton
Zazzy Cats Kitty Rescue, permanent adoption center, store hours
Rabbit Rescue Inc., one adoptable rabbit daily, store hours
PetSmart Seal Beach
12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach
Helen Sanders CatPAWS permanent adoption center, store hours
West Coast Animal Rescue, Saturdays, noon–4:00 p.m.
Dogs in Need, Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach
Pet Food Express Cat Adoption Center, permanent adoption center, business hours
alternate weekends, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Fix Long Beach, occasional weekends
Live Love Animal Rescue, first Saturday of each month, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Ozzie and Friends Rescue, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., alternate Sundays
The Little Lion Foundation, alternate weekends, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Zazzy Cats, alternate weekends.
Bank of America, 5101 East Second St., Long Beach
Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation, 11:00 a.m.–3 p.m.
Register for Best Friends’ ‘Strut Your Mutt’ Walk Event
Imagine this: You’re surrounded by animal lovers just like you. Everywhere you look, there are dogs of all shapes and sizes, all happy with tails wagging. Excitement is in the air.
You don’t have to imagine it. That’s what Best Friends’ Strut Your Mutt is all about! This year’s LA Strut takes place October 20 (time to be announced) at Exposition Park. This fur-filled festival not only rallies friends, family and neighbors to help save the lives of homeless pets in your community but it also supports the lifesaving work of Best Friends Animal Society. You can find everything you need to know right here.
BARK Therapy Dogs Reading with Kids
See website for information
Founded in 2007, BARK (Beach Animals Reading with Kids) is a nonprofit all-volunteer program that encourages children to increase their reading skills and self-confidence by reading aloud to certified therapy dogs. Students sometimes find it intimidating to read in front of classmates but love to read to the non-judgmental, calming dogs. BARK now has 170 teams listening to kids in more than 100 schools and libraries in California—Long Beach libraries visited monthly are Bach, El Dorado, Bayshore, Brewitt and Los Altos; outlying-area libraries include Hawaiian Gardens, Iacoboni and Los Alamitos. BARK teams also visit nursing homes, senior living facilities and veteran centers. They even de-stress college students during finals week! For all events, check out BARK’s calendar. To find information about volunteering your furry buddy or to arrange a visit to your school, library or other community, contact the group at [email protected] or (562)235-8835.
SNP/LA Mobile Low-Cost Pet Vaccines
Locations and dates vary; visit link in text
For low-cost vaccines, visit this link Note that pet owners must be 18 years or older, all pets must be on leashes or in carriers, and only healthy and non-pregnant animals will be vaccinated. Please bring prior vaccination information with you to the clinic. Vaccination and microchip services are provided for pets residing in any city. Licensing is provided for residents within our jurisdiction at Saturday clinics; please bring your renewal notice and rabies certificate with you. Low/cost spay/neuter information is also available through SNP/LA.
Free Pet Food Distributions
Papa, a big “teddy bear’ of a dog, sits with his human in Ashlee’s Pet Care station at Beacon for Him.
Beacon for Him has extended an outreach for people experiencing homelessness and their pets. Pet food, primarily dog food, is available at their facility at 439 West Anaheim St., Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3:00 p.m.. A dog-washing station with a stainless-steel tub is also available onsite at these hours. Donations and supplies such as shampoo, flea control and, of course, pet food are always gratefully accepted.
The Pet Food Bank is sponsored by Christian Outreach in Action . COA is located at 515 E 3rd St., Long Beach. Hours are Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m..
Shelter-Enrichment Supplies Needed for ACS Dogs and Cats!
Drop-off: Wednesdays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach
Individual donations requested
ACS is continuing our kennel enrichment activities for our canine guests here and could use so more donations (there are plenty for the cats!). Here is what’s needed:
- creamy peanut butter
- yogurt
- beef broth (canned or in the box)
- chicken broth (canned or in the box)
- incense
- carabiner clips (heavy duty)
- ice cube trays
- pipe cleaners
- toilet paper/paper towel rolls
- cat toys
- corks from bottles (for cat toys)
- catnip
- canned cat and dog food
Donations are tax deductible. Our pups and kitties say thanks so much!