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

No matter how many sedans, crossovers, boxy SUVs or sports models you look at, do not leave without checking out this one: the Adoption Waggin’ from Long Beach Animal Care Services. This baby’s loaded.

Timmons Subaru is holding its annual Share the Love adoption event this Sunday (see Things to do, pets to support), and they’ll be paying the adoption fees as well (to qualified adopters, mind you). Cats and dogs from LBACS will be waiting all snug in their little mobile kennels in the Adoption Waggin’, in hopes that a forever family soon will be there. You’ll be able to meet them up close and decide which one will drive off the lot with you. No test drives or trade-ins, but Timmons will have some neat adoption kits for new pet parents, and there will be snacks and beverages.

Here are a few of the little lights brightening the Waggin’:

Maxwell (ID#A616221) has a puppylike appearance that makes him endearing at first glance. Actually, the little Lab mix is 5 years old, and the endearing factor increases at every meeting. He’s a fun-loving little guy and is really as playful as a puppy!

You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but Buster (ID#A616873) isn’t a book—he’s an adorable 6-year-old miniature poodle who’s always ready to go and is as sweet as he looks.

Mother goddess Venus (ID#A615419) was brought into LBACS a couple of months ago. The kittens got adopted—this beautiful medium hair pearl-gray adult cat was ignored. She’s only 2 years old and has a long life ahead of her as a playmate, a companion and a foot warmer.

Purrtato (ID#A615189, and don’t you love the name!) is 3 months old. She’s being fostered by one of the shelter staff and is socialized. She’s so ready to go home and play!

 

Things to do, pets to support

Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic, sponsored in part by the Rossmoor Woman’s Club: Saturday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St., Long Beach, free spay/neuter for qualifying Long Beach residents; free microchips; shots, flea-med doses, dewormers and nail trimmings $10 each.

It’s the law to fix your pets in Long Beach and many Southern California cities. 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. Make an appointment through IM or email at [email protected]; include (1) your name, (2) address, (3) phone number, (4) pet’s name, (5) age, (6) sex, (7) breed, and (8) weight. Standby available at 8:30 a.m. Vouchers are provided through Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) Spay/Neuter Assistance Voucher Program for pets without appointments or dogs too large to fit on the vehicle—they may be used at specified veterinary clinics. For both spay/neuter and vaccinations, all dogs must be on sturdy leashes and all cats must be in dedicated carriers.

Helen Sanders CatPAWS photos with Santa: Saturday, Dec. 8; Saturday, Dec. 5; and Sunday, Dec. 16, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Petco, 6500 PCH, $9.95 per photo.

Oh, I saw Rover licking Santa’s nose…in the spirit of love thy neighbor even if they don’t have pointed ears on top of their head or purr, CatPAWS is inviting folks with any type of pet—furry, feathery, scaly, shelly—to have a photo taken with Mr. Claus. All proceeds help the cats and kittens rescued by cat paws with food, medical bills and other needs.

Zoey’s Place Rescue’s ‘Home for the Holidays’: Saturday, Dec. 8, noon.–4 p.m., Pussy and Pooch Pawbar, 4818 E. Second St., Long Beach, adoption fees apply

Don’t you want to celebrate the best Christmas ever? Zoey’s Place sure does! Help make this holiday season the most special and meaningful by getting all of Zoey’s Place kitties to their forever families for Christmas! Unique handcrafted cat-themed gifts will be available as well. All money spent goes toward the kitty’s at Zoey’s! Zoey’s Place promises unconditional love, endless snuggles, meaningful conversation and all the eggnog you can stomach because cats don’t like eggnog. At least that’s what Zoey’s Place says—I know a certain 21-pound cat who’d beg to differ.

Timmons Subaru Adoption Event: Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m.–4 p.m., Petco, 3950 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, adoption fees apply

Four-legged friends from our shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services and at spcaLA are searching for their special forever homes this holiday, and you could be the one to bring them the gift of love, warmth and family. Join Timmons Subaru in helping to provide our tail-wagging, wet-nosed and fluffy buddies with a warm place to stay for the holidays and for the rest of their lives as a part of your family. Timmons will pay all adoption fees. Remember: absolutely no trade-ins.

Haute Dogs’ Operation Santa Paws: Saturday, Dec. 22, 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS), 3950 Cherry Ave, Long Beach, adoption fees apply

Santa Paws himself (you may know him as Justin Rudd) and his helpers (you) will bring toys and goodies to all the good cats, dogs and bunnies and cleaning supplies for the staff in three shelters: Long Beach Animal Care Services, spcaLA, Seal Beach Animal Care Center and Orange County Animal Care. (See the wish list here.) Participants will meet at LBACS’s parking lot, pass out items at the Long Beach locations, and either caravan to the other shelters or just do Long Beach, if preferred. If you or a business or organization you’re connected with wants to start an independent collection, download a poster here and follow the instructions on the Santa Paws website. All information is readily available there. Happy holidays to all critters and those of us who love them!

Ongoing

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].

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

Unleashed by Petco, 600 Redondo Ave.

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

PetSmart Signal Hill, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill

PetSmart Cerritos, 12741 Towne Center Dr, Cerritos

PetSmart Compton, 1775 South Alameda St., Compton

PetSmart Garden Grove, 9835 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove

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

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

 Gelson’s Market, 6255 E. Second St.

Chase Bank, 5200 E. Second St., Long Beach

Long Beach Shelter forgives license penalties: through Dec. 31

Merry Christmas! Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) is forgiving all past license penalties and fines for Long Beach residents. If your pet’s license has lapsed, bring it  , visit: 7700 E. Spring St. Long Beach, CA 90815, call: 562-570-PETS or online at: www.longbeach.gov/acs

Long Beach Little Paws Project needs donations

The most vulnerable animals in the public shelter system are kittens under two pounds. These fragile babies, especially those not yet eating on their own, are typically euthanized on intake at most public shelters. In an effort to change the fate of far too many kittens, two non-profit rescue organizations, The Little Lion Foundation and Helen Sanders CatPAWS, have launched a joint effort to create and operate a kitten nursery. This nursery will give kittens too young to be adopted or those who need medical care a safe place to heal and grow. Newborn kittens are fragile and vulnerable. You can tell by those photos—if you look closely, you’ll see the beautiful cat that each of them will grow to be. Please read all about them here, and please, please donate.

2009 Pet Calendars!

Deck your walls with vows to rescue! We have a growing list of calendars that feature rescued pets who’ve found great homes! Your purchase of a calendar will help each rescue continue its quest to provide the best possible world for animals! All proceeds go to the rescue, not to mention paying for the printing. These are nice calendars!

Ordering information is on the links.

Helen Sanders CatPAWS “Show Us Your Kitties” calendar

Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation

Low-Cost Pet-Vaccination Clinics: For schedule, visit this link

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.

Free Pet Food Distributions

Pet food is available at Beacon for Him Ministries, 439 W. 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 meds and pet food are always gratefully accepted.

The Pet Food Bank is sponsored by Christian Outreach in Action, located at 515 E. Third St., Long Beach. Hours are Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Pets of the Homeless provides many collection places across the country to help homeless people to feed and care for their animals. Please support them through a cash donation, or bring pet food to the Long Beach-area drop-off center, Trendi Pawz Grooming, 3726 E. Seventh St, Long Beach. Access this link for resources and donation areas in SoCal and across the country.

Shelter-enrichment supplies requested for ACS’s cats, dogs and rabbits: drop-off Wednesdays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., shelter side of P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach

Creamy peanut butter, 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 all are needed. Donations are tax deductible.