Please send any Long Beach or Seal Beach pet-related events or projects to [email protected]. Posting subject to approval.
Virtually Pets
Whether you’re a confirmed cat person or find them annoying but somehow appealing, you’ve probably cooed and oohed and aahed at photos of rescue kitties. But behind every adorable image is a story that the picture doesn’t usually tell. When rescuer Brandy Gaunt, founder of Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation pointed me in the direction of Henry, it got me thinking about how many appealing, adorable adoptive pets have had really crummy beginnings.
Henry, a five-month-old orange kitten, was dumped in Gaunt’s yard along with a bag of food a few days ago. Actually, Henry had immediately left without Gaunt having known he was there in the first place, and the bag of food was a mystery until her neighbor informed her that a man had brought Henry by and dropped him off—no carrier, no note, no nothing. He walked off without a backward glance even after the neighbor called after him.
Gaunt located Henry in a tree. After she’d coaxed him down, he snuggled in her arms and purred incessantly. The next day, she noticed with some incredulity that Henry couldn’t see well. His eyes were in terrible condition—after a visit to the vet, it turned out that he has a condition called eyelid agenesis, which is a partial or complete absence of eyelid layers, and his eyes themselves are ulcerated. Gaunt said that Henry is the second kitten with this condition abandoned in her yard.
Henry. Photos courtesy of Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation.
“How he got out of my yard and found the safety of the tree, I will never know,” Gaunt said. “His managing to not get eaten by the local hawk is also a miracle.”
Gaunt doesn’t know if Henry’s owner dumped him because of the condition of his eyes, but she wishes that he’d taken advantage of other options.
“Henry was clearly loved, and whoever dumped him thought they were doing the right thing by leaving him with me, even if they did it all wrong,” she said—Gaunt has a more generous nature than a lot of the rest of us. “If the person had reached out to me—or to other rescues, maybe—we could have found a way to help the family keep him. They didn’t have to dump him, and I want to get the message out that there is help out there. They just need to ask.”
Henry will require surgery in the neighborhood of $1,000, and Gaunt has set up a fund for him. If you can spare change, Jellicle Cats has a PayPal account at [email protected].
As you can see, Henry is a sweetheart and will be up for adoption as soon as he’s been vetted and neutered and his condition has improved.
Every adoptable pet has a story, and rescuers like Brandy Gaunt and adoptive humans like us write any happy endings. Read Henry’s story here, and while I’m on the subject of stories, here are a couple of more characters waiting at Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation for theirs to end well.
Young Rockwell, six months old, reaching for his dream of a forever home. He, his six siblings and his mama were brought to Jellicle by a dog rescue.
Apple, six months old, is ready for Halloween, dressed as her favorite cat sushi. Apple’s mom was also a stray kitty, pregnant, who was taken in by a kind person. She couldn’t keep the kittens, though, so Jellicle has them. Apple’s silly and talkative and plays fetch and tag.
Mark Your Calendars (the People Way)
spcaLA Howl-o-Ween Spooktacular
Saturday, October 24, noon–3:00PM, spcaLA Marketplace, 7700 East Spring Street, Long Beach
Entry donation of $5 for costume contest
Bring your dog and join the fun—prizes and contests to be won! Take part in a doggie costume contest with ghoulish rewards for categories including Best Homemade, Funniest, Best Duo, Most Original and Best Costume. Show us your dog’s best (or most dastardly) trick, bob for apples (or are they giant eyeballs?), see a “zombie doggie” agility demo, and create the next Edvard Munch-style Scream. And speaking of Munch, take him or her trick or treating at the Begging for Braaaaaains” stations. Lots of vendor booths, lots of howls.
Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade
Saturday, October 31, 2:30PM, Marina Vista Park, 5355 East Eliot Street, Long Beach
Entry fees apply
This iconic Belmont Shore pet event is expected to include a few hundred kids and adults in costumes, followed by more than 500 costumed dogs with handlers. A few thousand human gawkers will line the parade route, including a panel of distinguished judges that will choose a few dozen human and canine costume winners. Haute Dogs will raise thousands for spay/neuter programs, adoption/rescue groups, Operation Santa Paws and other Long Beach service projects. See more here.
Low-Cost Pet Vaccination Clinics
Thursday, November 5, Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach
Pricing information available here.
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: Long Beach, Signal Hill, Cerritos, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.
Veteran’s Day Parade: Walk with Friends of Long Beach Animals
Saturday, November 7, 10AM, Houghton Park at the intersection of Harding Street and Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach
Free
Join Friends of Long Beach Animals in celebrating our veterans as we walk in the Long Beach Veterans Day Parade.
Fix Long Beach (FLB) Spay/Neuter Clinic
Dogs only, Saturday, November 14, 7:30AM–4:00PM Houghton Park, 6301 N. Myrtle Avenue (near Jordan High School), Long Beach
Free to qualifying residents
The grassroots free spay/neuter organization Fix Long Beach invites you to make an appointment for your unfixed dog or cat! Guidelines are as follows:
- Low-income Long Beach residents only unless you have a pit bull! (We offer free spay/neuter for pitties in surrounding cities.) If you don’t qualify (annual salary $30,000 or lower), please Google “low cost spay/neuter” along with your zip code, and have your pet fixed at one of the suggested clinics.
- Book an appointment ASAP. Standbys are welcome. Vouchers will be given to any attendee whose pet cannot be served that day.
- If you have called or made a previous appointment, please check your voice mail for messages (be sure that it’s set up). You must call back to confirm your appointment or your spot will be given away.
- If you are 15 minutes late for your appointment, your spot will be given to someone waiting on standby. If you fail to show up for two consecutive appointments, you will be denied future service.
- Fix Long Beach also offers the following services from 9:00AM–4:00PM:
- Low-cost vaccines for dogs and cats $10 per shot, cash only.
- Low-cost flea meds for dog and cats $10 per dose/application, cash only.
- Nail trim $5, cash only.
- Free microchips for pets of Long Beach residents.
- Free supplies for anyone that gets their pets fixed.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 323.413.7729
When you come, bring proof of income and Long Beach residency (these events are for Long Beach residents only.) Whether you come as standby or with an appointment, do not give your pet anything to eat or drink after 12:01AM. Dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers that are specifically pet carriers! No paper bags or suitcases, please! There are no walls in the park, and we want you to ensure your pet’s safety! If you don’t own a carrier, pet supply stores like Petco and PetSmart carry inexpensive cardboard ones; they run on the average of $8.
Fix Long Beach also has a wish list for pet items to give to our client as a thank-you for helping to lower our shelter euthanasia rate and prevent the birth of more unwanted kittens and puppies.
Click the 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
Monthly Mutt Mingles
Pussy & Pooch Pethouse and PawBar, 4818 East Second Street, Long Beach, third Wednesday of every month
222 East Broadway, third Thursday of every month, 6:00PM–8:00PM
Join P&P for their monthly mixer, and enjoy special treats, toasts, and plenty of in-store tail-wagging. Mutt Mingles are a great way for your dog to learn valuable social skills. It’s a chance for them to experience and interact in a social setting with food, drink and plenty of other distractions! It’s important for your dog to learn how to behave around other dogs and people so that they’ll be the stars of the dog park and the dog beach. The indoor facility provides for a very comfortable setting and fun atmosphere. Dogs may be off-leash if supervised closely by their owners. For their protection, we lock the front door so dogs are safe from the street traffic.