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Virtually Pets
Black Friday has long become as traditional as Thanksgiving. Last year, it threatened to take it over, like a wave of rampant materialism drowning out the gratitude for what we have now.
This Black Friday, three pet rescues, one shelter and a pet-supply boutique in a pear tree are conquering that wave and extending the real spirit of the holiday season. The Black Cat/Black Dog Adopt and Shop will take place on November 25 (see Mark Your Calendars) as a joint effort of Pussy and Pooch Pethouse and Pawbar in Belmont Shore, Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS), pet rescues Zoey’s Place Cat Rescue, Live Love Pet Care and Animal Rescue and Zazzy Cats Kitty Rescue.
Black animals—not just cats, but dogs and rabbits as well—are less likely to be adopted than others? Why? None of us can figure it out.
“We say ‘Nonsense!’” said Aurelie Vanderhoek, founder of Zoey’s Place. She said that this event is geared toward the black pets who are often set aside and ignored and who are as beautiful in all ways as any animal.
Here are a few samples from the event. Please give these guys something to be thankful for. It’s a guarantee that anyone who adopts any of these pets will be grateful, too.
Papaya is a pretty little female cocker spaniel mix, about six years old. She’s got lots of play left in her. Her ID number at (ACS) is A580684. If you can’t make it to the event, the shelter is located at 7700 East. Spring Street at the entrance to El Dorado Park. Parking is free to shelter visitors.
Black-and-white kitties can have a hard time as well. Just ask Harold. He’s just a 3-month-old baby, rescued by Zoey’s Place. Ask about him at the event. He’d love to grow up in a forever home.
It’s a given that these guys won’t be at the event, but other cats from Zazzy Cats will. These tiny kittens, most of them black, are just a few days old. ACS turned them over to Zazzy Cats, who are busy with the laborious but rewarding task of bottle-feeding the babies.
This is not an unusual occurrence, sadly. This isn’t the designated kitten season, but kittens are still born at this time thanks to climate change and the propensity of unaltered cats to breed. There aren’t enough bottle feeders to go around, and many newborns either die when they’re abandoned or are euthanized at shelters. Zazzy Cats is looking for donations, which can be made here. Helen Sanders CatPAWS, another generous cat-welfare organization, provides “kitten kits” to ACS for people who agree to bottle-feed newborns. Donate here to assist in their efforts.
Mark Your Calendars (the People Way)
Black Cat/Black Dog Adopt and Shop
Friday, November 25, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Pussy and Pooch, 4818 East Second Street, Long Beach
Adoption fees apply
Join up with these great rescue groups in our beautiful city of Long Beach and prove that our black kitties and doggies are all worth it! And Pussy and Pooch has everything that a pet like yours deserves!
Pet Adoption Event
Saturday, December 3, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach
Adoption fees apply
Find your new best friend and everything that he or she could ever want or need, in one place. Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) and other rescues will be bringing some wonderful dogs ready to go home with their new people. Everything is high quality at Pet Food Express, and that includes the adoptive pets! Check out the Cat Adoption Center, featuring fine felines from Long Beach Animal Care Services and Stray Cat Alliance.
People’s Place and Palace for Pets spcaLA Fund-Raiser
Saturday, December 3, 9:30AM–11:30AM, People’s Place and Palace, 365 W. 6th Street, San Pedro
$20 per ticket
Break a sweat with Zumba, cardio line-dance blast and yoga! $5 of the ticket price will help the pets at the spcaLA. Your weight loss will be the animals’ gain in so many ways! (No food, drink or pets allowed in the studio.)
spcaLA Rummage Sale
Saturday, December 3, 9:00AM–1:00PM, spcaLA Marketplace in P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street, Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park
Item prices vary; parking is free for visitors to the Village
Come find treasures like art, decor, household items and more! The real treasures are the ones that your purchases will be helping. They’re all inside waiting to go home!
Walk with the Animals in the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade
Saturday, December 3, Step-Off at 6:00PM, Second Street in Belmont Shore
Free
This year’s theme is A Candy Land Christmas, and you can just bet that the sweetest marchers will be with Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA). Find us in the line!
Pet Photos with Dr. Santa
Saturday, December 10, 2:00PM–11:30AM, Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital, 2665 East PCH, Long Beach
Free event; donations will be collected for Friends of Long Beach Animals
We don’t know how your pet feels about the vet, but Santy Claws? This will be a treat for everyone and a benefit for a great animal welfare organization! Call the number on the flier for a reservation.
Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic
Saturday, December 17, 7:30AM–4:00PM, Houghton Park, 6500 Atlantic Avenue (near Jordan High), Long Beach
Free to qualifying residents; free microchips; low-cost shots ($10 each); $10 flea med doses
The grassroots free spay/neuter organization Fix Long Beach invites you to make an appointment for your unfixed dog, or get vouchers for free procedures for your dog or cat! These clinics are generously sponsored through Hope for Paws and Eldad Hagar.
Visit this link for qualifications and an application for your appointment. There is also a donation button to help Fix Long Beach continue their efforts. Click the organization’s Amazon Wish List link to donate items, or bring them to the event if you find a better deal!
Let’s continue to help make Long Beach no kill, one pet at a time!
Ongoing
Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS): Free Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinics, once monthly; Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics, scheduled days monthly. Locations vary.
See flyer on web page for pricing of services
Beginning this Sunday, February 21, the Society for California Veterinary and Vaccine Care (SCVVC) will offer free spay/neuter procedures and wellness services to residents of the cities served by ACS: Long Beach, Signal Hill, Cerritos, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach. During the remaining weeks of the month, Spay/Neuter Project Los Angeles (SNP/LA) will offer low-cost vaccines, nail trimmings and topical flea treatment for residents of the same areas. Click link for locations and times and click the links next to each event for vaccine pricing and other details.
Pet owners must be 18 years or older. All pets must be on leashes or in carriers. Only healthy and non-pregnant animals will be vaccinated. If you have a prior rabies vaccine certificate, license tag or license renewal notice for your pet, please bring it with you to the clinic. Vaccination and microchip services are provided for pets residing in any city. Licensing service is provided for residents within our jurisdiction. Microchips, flea treatment and nail trimmings also available.
Pet Photos with Santa and spcaLA Mobile Adoption
Monday, November 14, 21, 28 and December 5, 6:00PM–8:00PM, Los Cerritos Center, 239 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos
Adoption fees apply
Have your pet’s photo taken with Santa! No pet? There may not be any in Santa’s sack (they aren’t holiday-gift material), but there will be plenty there to adopt! A portion of each photo package sold benefits spcaLA.
Registration for Team spcaLA for the LA Marathon
Saturday, March 18, 5k; Sunday, March 19, Marathon; Dodger’s Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles
5k, $40; Marathon, $175
Join Team spcaLA for the LA Marathon or LA Big 5K and help stop animal cruelty with each step. Visit link for details.
BARK Therapy Dogs Library Appearances
Various area libraries (Long Beach events generally held on Saturdays)
Free event
Dogs love unconditionally. They don’t judge or criticize. And they love a good story. Bring your children to the library to read to these lovely therapy dogs, and watch their confidence in their reading ability grow.
BARK (Beach Animals Reading with Kids) is an all-volunteer group dedicated to increasing children’s reading skills as well as interacting with pets. Check the calendar page on the group’s website, and find out more about this terrific organization.
Free Pet Food Distributions
Food for Pets in Need provides pet food to senior, homeless, low-income and homebound residents in Long Beach who otherwise may not be able to afford adequate food to take proper care of their pets.
The Pet Food Bank is sponsored by Christian Outreach in Action. See flyer for details.