Pet Events and Random Clawings

Thank you to the 500 humans and other animals who helped make our Friends of Long Beach Animals Pet Appreciation Fair and WALK a huge success. This was the first time that we had horses as grand marshals or a veritable petting farm on the grounds. We raised (but haven’t yet counted) lots of money for low-cost spay/neuter and humane education. What’s better, the event did what it was supposed to do—our über-pet-portrait photog, Merrilee Adler, and her brother, Todd Titterud, who photographed events around the grounds, fell madly in love with one of their subjects and wound up adopting him from ACS. His name’s Clark Gable, and because Merrilee has another dog named Rudy Vallee, he’ll fit right in and share top billing.

Who’s that guy with Clark Gable?

Check out more photos on Merrilee’s delightful and frequently irreverent blog, Travels with Auntie M, which she composes with the help of her favorite Teletubby.

The holiday season has so much animal-related stuff to do that an article would take away from it, so I’ve instead decided to plan your next few weeks for you.

Virtually Pets

Sorry, they’re all out of Clark Gable, but ACS has plenty of other pets who need homes. Here are three samples, all available at Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach:

This is Hero, a 3-year-old orange domestic shorthair tabby. Whether Hero got his name by grace of his character or because he looks as if he’s eaten a few of that kind of sandwich, he needs a soft pillow and a lap to overlap. He’ll be an asset to you if and when the autumn chill finally arrives. Ask for ID#A477205.

Lloya is a male tan-and-white Cairn terrier mix, about 7 months old. This little fuzz face will wake you in the morning with a kiss and a tickle, ready to play and be your best bud. Ask for ID#A478620.

Oona Goosepimple is listening for her rescuer to give her a good home, one in which she won’t be dumped in a park to fend for herself. She’s a black-and-white shorthair of undetermined age, like so many of us aging beauties. Bunnies need special care from special people. Ask for ID#A478825.

Pet Projects

Bunny Day, Saturday, Oct. 20, 1PM, Shoestring City Ranch, 1003 W. Carson St., Long Beach, 90810

If you adopt Oona Goosepimple or are planning to adopt a bunny—or if one is already a member of your family—Dr. Suzanne Pluskat (great name for a vet, which she is) will be leading a special bunny-care learning and activity day especially for kids. Reserve your space at [email protected].

Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics, Various Long Beach-Area Parks, Oct. 27–Dec. 8

Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) sponsors regularly scheduled clinics to help keep your cat or dog health and safe. Vaccinations are provided by Southern California Veterinary Vaccine Clinics. Pricing is available here. Scheduled dates and locations for the rest of 2012 (subject to change) are as follows:

Click here for more information.

Animal Care Services Fund-Raiser at Veggie Grill, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 4–10PM, Veggie Grill at The Marketplace (Next to Trader Joe), 6451 PCH, Long Beach

Here’s one heck of a great reason to eat your nice vegetables. On the designated date, eat at Veggie Grill (another great reason to eat your nice vegetables) and mention the ACS fund-raiser. A generous 50 percent of your food and beverage tab will go to ACS to purchase services and items to increase the comfort of their pets-in-waiting. And that ain’t small potatoes!

Halloween Spooktacular, Saturday, Oct. 27, 1–3:30PM, spcaLA Marketplace, 7700 E. Spring St. (in El Dorado Park), Long Beach

Enjoy a safe Halloween for the entire family at this neat event! Dress up your dog or indignant cat and enter contests for best couple, scariest, funniest and best homemade costumes. Then, take your BFF trick-or-treating at vendors from Honest Kitchen, Sweat Scoop, Plato Dog Treats, and Stella & Chewy’s, enjoy prize drawings, agility “playground” equipment and contests like best trick, bobbing for “apples,” and hide-a-treat game, courtesy of spcaLA Animal Behavior and training department. For more information, click here.

Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2:30PM, Livingston Park, 2900 Livingston Dr., Long Beach

Dress up the dachshund, costume the cockapoo, make up the mutt. Bring them all to this terrific annual event that attracts over 500 dogs and a couple of thousand spectators from Park Avenueto Second Street. Prizes in several categories, including best float, will be awarded to animals and humans. There’s a contest for kids, too. All funds raised will go to charities for animals and humans. Click here for registration, rules and details.

Shoestring Music Festival, Saturday, Nov. 3, noon–5PM, Shoestring City Ranch, 1003 W. Carson St., Long Beach, 90810

What better place for a good ol’ fashioned barn dance-style festival than a ranch? Enjoy zydeco and bluegrass music, face painting, and crafts activities for kids. Meet the chickens, goats, horses, sheep and guard llamas (it’s true—the llama is one of the coyote’s worst nightmares) who live their good lives out at ShoestringCity. Suggested donation: $10 for adults; kids enter free! Donations help fund the programs at the ranch and benefit the animals. Learn more here.

‘A Second Chance’ Pet Adoption and Pet Fair, Sunday, Nov. 4, 10AM–2PM, Good Neighbor Park, 2800 Studebaker Rd. Long, Beach, 90815

Nearly a dozen nonprofit pet-rescue groups and 20 pet-related merchants will be attending this wonderful event sponsored by The Pet Post (that’s the other one!), 123EzEvents, Rebekah Thomas, Pet Sit Pros, Canvaspets, Kogi BBQ, Centinela Feed and Supply, Gourmet Genie, Bark! Bark! Grooming and Day Care, and Unleashed by Petco. This special event has been designed for the sole purpose of finding loving homes for well over 100 abandoned dogs and cats. Jest for laughs, the event’s MC will be Long Beach’s own funny lady—comedienne and Animal Match Rescue Team volunteer Lynda Montgomery. Also joining the event will be Fourth District Council Member Patrick O’Donnell and Mike Boyd, Grammy-nominated singer, former LA Dodger and founder of Stand Still Baseball, who’ll sing a few songs. And the special guests? Lots of animals who want to be your new best friend forever! Enjoy drawings, giveaways and lots of fun. Parking is free. For information, click here.

Second Annual Holiday Bone-anza and Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 1, 10AM–3PM, Good Neighbor Park, 2800 Studebaker Rd. Long, Beach, 90815

This annual fund-raiser presented by the Friends of El Dorado Dog Park will help pay for a place for the doggies to play and also help you with your holiday shopping. Volunteers are needed for this event; click here for information.

Donations Needed for Animal Care Services, Pitchford Animal Companion Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, (562) 570-PETS

ACS thanks everyone who provided donations for their wish list! The list has been further winnowed down; if you feel generous or just have any of the following items around your house, bring them to the shelter (and take home a pet, if you are so inclined!).

• wet food for cats and kittens     
• wet food for dogs and puppies     
• Natural Balance Dog Food Rolls. See examples here.
• Two trash cans for our play yards that open with a foot press. See an example here.