Virtually Pets
Next Saturday, the Camden Harbor View Apartments at Cedar Walk downtown will team up with Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) for a pet adoption event. What’s unique about this occasion is that Camden will waive the pet fee of any prospective and present tenants if they adopt a pet at this event. The adoption fee will be $20, which is a lot lower than it is at the shelter itself, and will still include all the vetting and an application for any adoptive family. Good deal if you can’t find a place to rent that will allow pets or will charge you up the kazoo with a pet fee. And if you already have a roof over your head that will gladly shelter a cat or a dog, you can adopt at this event as well.
It’s tough for pet owners to find rentals that will allow them to bring their cats and dogs with them or adopt one while they’re renting. It’s true that a deposit may be required against any damage incurred by an animal, and occasionally damage does happen. But renters are already asked to pay a hefty security deposit that can total two month’s rent along with a nonrefundable screening fee at an average cost of $40. And frankly (big disclosure: I’m a landlord, and here comes a subjective empirical judgement), in our experience, human tenants have caused more damage than their pets have, and the rental deposit should be enough to cover it all.
It’s hoped that owners and managers of other rental properties will follow suit. Meanwhile, if you’re a Camden renter or just want to take home a swell pet, here are some candidates:
Photos courtesy of ACS
Cali, ID#A585294
Juno, ID#A585509
Cali’s a 6-year-old spayed female who appears to be a smooth-coated Chihuahua. She is good on a leash and willing to go just about everywhere. She’s very curious and happy to be around people.
Her buddy Juno is a little clown. She’s about 5 years old and appears to be an Italian greyhound mix. As soon as she sees a leash and a treat, she stands up in her kennel and dances around happily. She loves going places as well.
Peter Pan, ID#A585613
Shakespeare, ID#A585808
The Camden cats are seriously and literally literary little lions. Peter Pan has amazing eyes (all the better to see Cap’n Hook with, we guess) and is a dear little tux male neutered male who, at only 3 years old, has a lot of life, love and play in his future. Shakespeare definitely has Siamese ancestry—maybe all, but he’s got a fluffy, fat tail, so who knows. He’s a neutered male about 1 year old who wonders if the Bard wrote a play featuring Thai royalty, like him.
Dulce, ID#A584242
Isadore, ID#A584243
Dulce and Isadore are a bonded pair of American-breed rabbits. They’re about a year old, spayed and neutered, and, because of their special connection, need to go home together. We’re sure they’ll add a loving human to their little club!
Mark Your Calendars (the People Way)
Big Garage Sale to Benefit Live Love Animal Rescue and The Little Lion Foundation
Saturday, February 25, 7AM–3:00PM, 4145 Falcon Avenue, Long Beach
Item prices vary; all proceeds go to the rescues
Held over because of popularity and that rainstorm! You need a kid’s climbing toy? A table lamp emblazoned with racehorses? Maybe a set of fireplace tools with goose heads on them? Pet dishes and accessories? Teeny-tiny little china cups? They’ll all be up for sale along with the buyables mentioned on the above flyer, and as always, everyone wins! You’ll take home stuff that you may have been looking for as well as a few things you had no idea you wanted, and the cats and dogs in the care of the good people at these rescues will thrive! See you there!
Camden Harbor View and Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) Adoption Event
Saturday, February 25, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Camden Harbor View Apartments Welcome Center, 40 Cedar Walk, Long Beach
$20 adoption fee
Save some money on an adoption fee, save what you would have spent on a pet deposit, and most importantly, save a little life. Camden Harbor View is teaming with ACS to make it easier for people with pets to find a pet-friendly place to rent, or live in one and want a pet but cannot handle the fee. The complex will waive the $500 pet fee for any pet adopted at this event—this applies to current and future residents! That’s plenty of money left to buy everything your new friend needs. If you don’t live at Camden Harbor View, you still get the discount.
Companion Species Park Jam
Saturday, February 25, noon–4:00PM, Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro
Free to attend; sales prices for auction items
Enjoy music, snacks with your little members of the species at the Jam! Auction items for bidding; free pet clinic, and first 150 guests will receive vaccinations at no cost. If you don’t have a pet to bring along, adopt one here!
Helen Sanders CatPAWS Dinner Fund-Raiser
Sunday, February 26, 11:00AM–10:00PM, That’s Amore Italian Restaurant, 16400 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach
Menu prices apply
When you go out and buy a big-a pizza pie, that’s amore—if you have it at That’s Amore restaurant this Sunday. As purr the flier, 20 percent of your tab will go right to the well-being of the rescued cats at Helen Sanders CatPAWS. Feast on pep-purroni and anti-purrs-to, and top it off with plenty of purr-mesan cheese!
spcaLA Dine and Donate: Elbows Mac ’n’ Cheese
Tuesday, February 28, 11:00AM–9:00PM, Elbows Mac ’n’ Cheese, 11405 South Street, Cerritos
Menu prices apply
Bring the above flier in to Elbows or present it digitally, and spcaLA will get 50 percent of the tab, and you’ll get a lovely, gooey plate of cheesy comfort food!
Saving Orphaned Kittens Workshop
Wednesday, March 1, 6:00PM–7:00PM, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach
Free event
During kitten season, shelters are flooded with unwanted newborn kittens found in yards, under houses, thrown in garbage cans and luckily found in time. Can you help be part of the solution? Come to this fantastic workshop presented by The Little Lion Foundation in conjunction with Helen Sanders CatPAWS.
Pet Adoption Event at PFE
Saturday, March 4, 11:00AM–3:00PM, Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach
Adoption fees apply
March forth to Pet Food Express to find your new BFF 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.
Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic
Saturday, March 11, 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!
Sixth Annual Helpful Honda Pet Adoption
Saturday, March 11, 11:00AM–6:00PM, Rosie’s Dog Beach, 5000 East Ocean Avenue, Long Beach
Free event
Gray the corgi enjoys a bath from a Helpful and Soaking Wet Honda Guy. Photo courtesy of SoCal Honda.
The Helpful Honda Guys (and Girls) in Blue are at it again! They’re coming to Rosie’s to help SoCal’s two-legged residents find new four-legged friends with their sponsored pet adoption events, and one’s coming here to Rosie’s Dog Beach! Live Love Pet Care, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County and Barks of Love will be there with the deserving dogs who’d love to get a ride home forever. In addition, the Helpful Honda Guys will be doing something else “pawsome”—they’ll be providing free doggie washes, a fun pet-photo booth, complimentary leashes and food bowls, and doggy bags to those who visit and adopt! A supplies donation will also be made to each participating local shelter or rescue group.
The Guys and Girls in Blue will be holding other adoption events in March in the San Jacinto Valley, Van Nuys and Camarillo. Check this link for more information in the future.
Marine Mammal Care Center Presents ‘Marine Mammal Madness!’
Sunday, March 19, 4:00PM–8:00PM, Think Cafe, 302 West 5th Street, San Pedro
Adults, $60
The public’s generosity in 2016 helped us provide quality care for 450 seals and sea lions in 2016. This fundraiser is a great opportunity for you to help us continue this work and to enjoy the music of Andy & Renee, sample food and drink, bid in a silent auction, enter opportunity drawings, win prizes and much more! We invite you to learn more about MMCC Los Angeles and the vital community service we provide through your support. You’ll be able to meet our board of directors and speak to our fund-raising ambassadors as to how you can support Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles. Your ticket entitles you to two drinks and a great array of appetizers (not to mention that part of the ticket price is tax deductible).
Ongoing
Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA) Invitation to Join Its Board
Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA), the most venerable animal-welfare organization in Long Beach, is inviting pet-community members and any animal-loving human to apply to fill an opening on the FOLBA board. If you have some time to spend and a passion for our feline and canine friends, and if you are looking for the rewards that can come with volunteerism, FOLBA would love to hear from you. Contact FOLBA at [email protected] or at (562) 988-SNIP.
Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) Information for Low-Cost Vaccinations and Spay/Neuter Clinics
7700 East Spring Street at entrance to El Dorado Park (no fee for shelter visitors), Long Beach
Prices vary
Vouchers that take a big bite, so to speak, out of the cost of spay/neuter procedures are available at ACS during their public hours. Visit this link for information on clinics that accept the vouchers and for other spay/neuter assistance.
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.
Humane Education Presentation Signup
Throughout year, various school classrooms
Free
Humane educator and writer (How Willy Got His Wheels, How Willy Got His Wings and others) is available to teach students about responsible pet ownership and kindness to all living beings. Turner also presents to adult groups as a special event for school parents. If you are a principal, a teacher, a librarian or other school official in the Long Beach Unified School District, reserve a date. See graphic for information.
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.
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.