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

Virtually Pets

Photo by ACS

Pets don’t appreciate Valentine’s Day cards unless they’re rabbits, who’d see them as heart-shaped gnawable candy. What’s unarguable is the benefits they’ll get from the cards when a child puts down heartfelt words on paper for the pets and a ton of them are hung all over the shelter where everyone else can read them. What happens then is cooing and baby-talking and other kinds of attention that the little guys will get and lap up like juice out of a potted-meat can. And then—in the best possible outcome, some of them will find their forever Valentines and go home.

On February 13, you’re encouraged to be inspired at the Valentine’s Day Yappy Hour, sponsored by Haute Dogs (see Mark Your Calendars). Here are a couple of hopeful speed-daters looking for the real thing, all waiting at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 East Spring Street (no parking fee for shelter visitors), Long Beach.

Leia, a beautiful brindle American Staffie mix, was living in a dumpster when she was found by a good Samaritan. She was incredibly thin and the shelter staff and volunteers think she’s seen some tough times, but you wouldn’t know it! She loves to be petted and gives sweet and gentle kisses. She’s three years old and has a lot of life and love left. Here she is having a girls’ day out with volunteer Darlene. Ask for ID#A561811.

Mr. Big, a three-year-old Chihuahua, acts a little timid at first but warms up quickly. He loves to play in the yard, running up to you and spinning around. He’s also a fun guy who gets along with his kennel mates. Ask for ID#A564806.

Bunny hugs, anyone? Brie is a shorthair rabbit with pink eyes and soft, white fur. Her age is unknown, but she is a cuddler. Brie is waiting in the Bunny Barn to see if you carrot all for her or her barn mates. Ask for ID# A564849.

No cats this time, because so many have been sent to fosters and rescues. Follow the link and click on the tab to see more—there’s about 200 of them.

Swiped from ACS’s Facebook page

Mark Your Calendars (the People Way)

Valentine’s Card Contest for Shelter Animals and Yappy Hour

Saturday, February 13 (for Yappy Hour), Long Beach Animal Care Services on shelter side of P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street (no parking fee for shelter visitors), Long Beach, noon

There’s still time to enter the Valentine’s Card Contest for Shelter Pets, and you can attend the Yappy Hour on Saturday. Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS), HAUTE DOGS, Justin Rudd and Westerly School are sponsoring the sixth annual handmade Valentine’s card contest for Long Beach-area students in grades kindergarten through 12 to create lovable Valentine’s cards for the dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets housed at ACS’s shelter. Hundreds of cards were submitted last year.

All cards will be on view for Yappy Hour. The goal is to have at least one card per animal that will be attached to each pet’s kennel through the Valentine’s Day week. The contest winner will be awarded a pizza party for his or her class, up to 30 people. Cards from adults are greatly encouraged but will not be judged for the award. Classrooms, scout groups, church youth groups, and other organizations are encouraged to participate.

Cards should be received at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, CA 90808, on or before noon on Sat., Feb. 13, 2016. Students should place their name, grade level, teacher’s name and school name on the very back of the card. Cards will not be returned. Click the link and scroll down for more information.

12th Annual 2016 National Bulldog Beauty Contest
Sunday, February 14, Marine Stadium Park, 5225 Paoli Way, Long Beach, 9AM–3PM
Admission is free; $5 to reserve a seat to watch the procession

What better day than Valentine’s Day to have a beauty competition for faces that only a mother could love? And mothers are out in full force at this event—hundreds came last year and even more are expected! The competition began as a bulldog contest, but it’s become far more inclusive: there are categories for the cutest dog, best smile, best disabled dog, and best butt! An adoption fair will take place in the same location, with plenty more candidates for true love. Contest rules, regulations, categories and other details are available here.

Team spcaLA for the LA Big 5K Run/Walk and Charity Relay
Saturday, February 13 (and Sunday, February 14, Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles, 8AM

Run or walk to prevent animal cruelty with Team spcaLA! Whether you’re inspired to run to protect scruffy puppies, tiny kittens, great big pit bulls, fluffy bunnies or majestic peacocks, you’ll be allowing spcaLA to prevent cruelty to all animals! Click here for details and registration. Registration closes at 11:59PM on February 5.

Fix Long Beach (FLB) Spay/Neuter Clinic
Saturday, February 27, 7:30AM–4:00PM, Houghton Park, 6500 Atlantic Avenue, 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, or get vouchers for free procedures for them! As you can see by the smiling face on this veritable Viking and the numbers from our last clinic, we’re making a big dent in shelter overpopulation and a huge positive impact on the health and welfare of dogs and cats.

Guidelines for FLB clinics 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 9AM–4PM:

• 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!

PizzaRev Fund-Raiser for spcaLA

Thursday, March 10, PizzaRev, Long Beach Towne Center, 7551B Carson Boulevard, Long Beach, 11AM–10PM
Prices vary according to menu

Have a slice or two and help animals at spcaLA! Mention “spcla fund-raider, and 20 percent of your bill will be donated to help the homeless shelter pets at spcaLA.

spcaLA Foster Class
Saturday, March 19, P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, 10AM–noon

Help a pet better his or her chance at adoption! spcaLA is looking for foster parents for pets of all ages and needs. Potential foster parents must fill out and submit an application, available here, before attending a class. For more information, call (323) 730-5300.

spcaLA Friends for Life Summer Camp
June through August, Monday through Friday; registration begins April 4, 10AM, Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach

Paws down, it’s the best camp around! spcaLA Friends for Life Summer Camp™ is for kids 8 through 13 years old. At camp, kids learn the basics of pet care and responsibility, respect for all animals, and the beginnings of dog training, all while making new friends on a number of legs! There are 10 sessions available, each running Monday through Friday.

Ongoing

Low-Cost Pet Vaccination Clinics

First and Third Sunday of each month, 4:00PM–6:00PM, Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach

See flyer for pricing of each services

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. Microchips, flea treatment and nail trimmings also available.

 

Bird Release Project

South Bay Wildlife Rehab, at driver’s convenience

Bye-bye, birdie! South Bay Wildlife Rehab needs rides for hawks, owls and falcons. No training is required—just sign up on the email list and reply to emails asking for help. Releasing birds of prey is rewarding and educational!

Some of the birds were captured at local airports and need long rides—150 miles plus—to lessen the chances of them returning to the airports and causing more trouble. There are also injured and orphaned birds that need to be returned to their natural environment; these are specific locations.

Rides are almost always needed, so if you’re planning a road trip of at least 150 miles and would enjoy a feathered passenger for part of the way, drop us an email and let us know where and when you’re going. Once you sign up for our email list, you’ll receive emails when birds need to hitch a ride. Contact Ann Lynch, director, at [email protected], or Karin West, ranch manager, at [email protected].