What do fuzzy-wuzzy bunnies bring to mind, with their frolicking among newly opened flora, their little cottony tails and wiggly noses twitching as they hop along the bunny trail, and their propensity for hiding eggs all around the park and your backyard?

Why, October, of course, and the first full month of autumn.

Seriously, there’s no season or holiday that stresses the need to adopt a pet than today, or whatever day you’re reading this. Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) and spcaLA and most rescues are up to their long ears in rabbits.

Rabbits also have to be spayed or neutered so that they won’t multiply like rabbits and fill shelters. When pet rabbits become adults, they often lose their cuteness appeal to people (not to us). Domestic buns are dumped in parks or schlepped to the shelter when their owners realize that they’re little guys with needs and not living stuffed toys.

Rabbits make wonderful pets at any age. They’re affectionate and loaded with personality, believe it or not (dumb bunny is not necessarily a thing), and they can be litter-box trained. If you have the know-how and desire to “bunny-proof” your house, your new bunny won’t need to spend his or her life in a pen.

During the month of October, ACS and spcaLA will be adopting out rabbits for a $30 fee to adopters who meet all qualifications. Here are a few of the little Leporidae (just a point of education and showing off—some mistakenly think rabbits are rodents and up until a few years ago, I did, too) that are waiting at ACS for the right magician to pull them out of the hat. Maybe there is an October connection after all.

Everyone needs a little kale to keep them healthy and happy. Here’s a little Kale for you. He’s about 2 years old and the shelter says that he appears to be an American. Dark leafy greens like kale are good in moderation for bunnies—for more info on diet, check with your vet or see House Rabbit Society’s excellent recommendations.

Tawney’s ears are so long that they couldn’t fit in the photo! This adorable little American rabbit is about a year old and very cuddly. For information about ear care and their structure, see House Rabbit Society’s ears page.

Of course, we have to have a bunny named Foo Foo. Foo Foo, too, is an American, about two years old. We highly recommend Foo Foo as a friend—wanna be his fairy godmother? Just keep him away from field mice.

Things to Do, Pet to Support

Find Some Bunny to Love Adoption: To Oct. 31, shelter hours, P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach. $30 adoption fee.

October may not be the month during which you typically think of rabbits, but no matter—all animals need homes and there’s no special day for that. However, Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) and spcaLA will be offering a special adoption rate of $30 per set of long ears for the entire month of October. Potential adopters must meet all the requirements. See flyer for details of cottontails.

Glory Days Beachside Grill Fund-Raiser for Rescue: Friday, Oct. 5, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Glory Days Sports Grill, 620 PCH, Seal Beach. Menu prices vary.

Three hearty meals are good for you, and they’ll be even better for pet rescues on Oct. 5! And your tummy, of course. K9 Kismet Dog Rescue, Long Beach Animal Care Services and Seal Beach Animal Care Services will be among the shelters and rescues that will receive 20 percent of the proceeds from breakfast, lunch and dinner! That’s right, all day! Just think—your one day to eat every meal out and feel good about it! Bring friends and family, and show your server the above Glory Days flyer (print or phone). See you there!

“Fall” in Love adoption event: Saturday, Oct. 6, noon–4 p.m., Pussy and Pooch Pethouse and Pawbar, 4818 E. Second St., Long Beach. Adoption rates vary.

The weather is getting colder and our days shorter, so why not make your homes and hearts warmer with a new furry companion! Join us Saturday for our first adoption event of the month as we start celebrating the ghoulish gambits of Halloween! Our adoptable kitties will be in their best costumes as we set up in front of our favorite pet boutique. We certainly have a lot of cute little goblins still in search for their perfect families. We hope that one of them can be you.

Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic, sponsored by Justin Rudd and his nonprofit:  Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Long Beach Marine Stadium, 5225 E. Paoli Way, Long Beach.

Please bring donations for the AIDS Food Bank: Nonperishable items such as peanut butter, pasta, cereal, tuna and granola. Bring socks as well.

Fourth annual Home at Last adoption event: Saturday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies, 4700 E. PCH, Long Beach. Adoption fees vary.

Coldwell Banker Coastal Alliance is again teaming up with Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies for their  pet adoption event, as part of the Coldwell Banker Home for Dogs Project. CBCA’s mission is to help raise awareness about adopting a rescue/shelter animal—there are thousands of them who need homes, and adoption gives them a second chance at life. We will also raise money for the participating animal rescue groups by selling raffle tickets and sponsoring other fun activities. And of course, as you can see, you’ll be able to take home a cat, too!

Stray Cat Alliance presents Stray Cat Club Gala: Saturday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m., Montage Beverly Hills, 225 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills. Tickets $300 and up, available here.

Stray Cat Alliance is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate and empower people to advocate for the health and safety of every cat, everywhere. In Long Beach and in other communities, volunteers have assisted residents in the process of trapping, spaying/neutering and returning (TNR) the cats who live, homeless, in neighborhoods and continue to bring thousands of unwanted kittens into the world (yes, they help get the kittens into foster and permanent homes as well!). Their yearly gala is always a top-hat-top-cat affair: this year, the event will feature a VIP reception, a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, a magician and a psychic who’ll read your paws, a dinner featuring vegan cuisine, and a program featuring actor/comedian Hal Sparks as host. L.A. City Council president Herb J. Wesson and the Michael Lewis Marketing Suite will be honored for their humane actions and contributions. Proceeds will help fund SCA’s programs. Veddy, veddy dec-cat-dent!

17th annual Interfaith Blessing of the Pets, presented by Justin Rudd and the nonprofit Community Action Team and Haute Dogs: Sunday, Oct. 14, sunset at 5:45 p.m., Granada Boat Landing, 1 Granada Ave., Long Beach. Free.

Frankly, we need blessings more than our pets do, but through them, so are we blessed. Come to this beautiful event and bring any pet who doesn’t mind a crowd of people and animals. If you have a pet who prefers to stay at home or who has passed on, bring a photo or something belonging to him or her. Ministers from a number of faiths will be there to administer blessings to cats, dogs, lizards, birdies, snakies, horsies, and farm animals—a veritable barn dance that includes a mini-cow, a pony, an alpaca, goats, sheep, bunnies and ducks. This is, seriously, a beautiful event.

Boats ’n’ Barks Fund-Raiser Cocktail Pawty: Sunday, Oct. 14, 4–9 p.m., Boathouse on the Bay, 190 N. Marina Drive, Long Beach. Drink prices vary.

Join Live Love Animal Rescue for a delightful evening of drinks, complimentary finger food and all these great dogs who’ll be trying to swipe the goodies from your plate. Yes, your dog’s welcome. Proceeds will go to Live Love. Sponsored by the Karen T. Hilburn Foundation.

Pup-Crawl for Dog-toberfest, to Benefit Fix Long Beach, sponsored in part by “Long Beach Post”: Saturday, Oct. 20, 5–9 p.m., Red Leprechaun, 4000 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. Tickets: $50; includes drink tickets and appetizer.

Hop on The Big Red Bus for all the fun you can handle! Fix Long Beach’s fund-raiser will begin at Red Leprechaun and stop at Malainey’s Grill, Shenanigans and Gallagher’s. Your ticket includes a drink ticket for beer, wine or champagne, and appetizers at one location. Drink sales will continue on the bus for an additional cost. You’ll meet at the Red Leprechaun at 5 p.m., The Big Red Bus will pick up at 6 p.m., and you’ll return to The Red Lep at 9 p.m. The Red Leprechaun will be staying open late for dinner. We are looking for sponsors, so if you know a business or individual that would like to fly their banner on the bus, please email [email protected]. All proceeds will go toward Fix’s goal of spay/neuter and rescue in the LBC. And thank you, Long Beach Post, for sponsoring this wild ride!

Strut Your Mutt

Best Friends “Strut Your Mutt”: Saturday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m., Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Visit the registration page to join a team, form a team, or register as an individual.

It’s that time again—time to strut to “Save Them All”! Please join Best Friends Animal Society and our partner rescue groups, shelters and animal welfare organizations as we walk to save lives at Strut Your Mutt in L.A. You can join a team or register individually to fund-raise for homeless dogs and cats in your community as you walk alongside animal lovers like yourself. The event starts with a celebratory walk (dog not required) and includes a family-friendly festival with food trucks, vendors and lots of fun activities. Last year, over 1,000 people raised more than $400,000 for lifesaving programs such as spay-and-neuter services and adoption events. With your help, we know we can set the bar even higher this year. Join us!

National Pit Bull Appreciation Day: Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Marina Vista Park, East Colorado Street, Long Beach. Free event; adoption and vendor price rates apply.

We (affectionately) call ‘em blockheads! Come help these funny, misunderstood doggies and their friends with our first annual National Pit Bull Appreciation Day! Live Love Animal Rescue is partnering up with Blockhead Brigade for this community event that features incredible local vendors, a pack walk, delectable food, pet portraits, a pit bull muralist, humane education, fostering info, training demos, yoga with your dog, a raffle, a photo contest and, best of all, adoptions! Help us build community around the dogs we love. All breeds, mixes and mutts are welcome—just bring love and your dog to enjoy a day at the beautiful Long Beach Marina with us! All breeds, creeds and loving humans are welcome.

Haute Dog’s 18th Annual Howl’oween Parade: Sunday, Oct. 28, 12:30–4:30 p.m., near Colorado Lagoon, 5355 Eliot St., Long Beach. Free to spectate; entry registration and seat reservation information available here; full schedule of information available here.

Will you go as a Hound of Baskerville? Or Cujo? Or a poodly princess in a pink petticoat? Justin Rudd and his Community Action Team will again host the biggest Halloween pet event in the world—and the most enjoyable one! Enjoy a vendor and pet-adoption fair from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., and don’t miss (as if you could!) the highlight of the day: over 500 costumed dogs (and maybe the pig will show up again) parading a few blocks in front of a few thousand gawkers and a panel of judges! The winner will receive dog food for a year from Petcurean. There’s a $10 advance for each dog who enters the parade, but there’s no charge for humans to walk in the parade with or without costumes and with or without pets. Free to spectate. Front-row chairs can be rented on-site for $5 cash or $10 reserved/advance. Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price will co-host the event.

7th annual Fall Fund-Raiser, to benefit No Stray Left Behind and The Cat Cove: Saturday, Nov. 5, 5 p.m., Eat at Joe’s, 7120 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. $25 admission, menu prices vary; see flyer for details.

Dogs fostered through No Stray Left Behind and cats curled up at The Cat Cove will benefit from your attendance at this big fundraiser. You’ll have a good time, too, listening to music, participating in activities, listening to live music, and eating great food at Eat at Joe’s. Eat At Joe’s will also donate a portion of food and drink sales sales to the rescues.

Photo courtesy of West Coast Animal Rescue.

Pet Adoption Locations

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 Compton, 1775 South Alameda St., Compton

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

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

 Gelson’s Market, 6255 E. 2nd St.

Bank of America, 5101 East Second St., Long Beach

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