Every year around this time, NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations team up with shelters nationwide for Clear the Shelters Day, a nationwide effort to get cats, dogs and rabbits out of kennels and into homes, which is where they belong. The drive started in 2015, with over 250,000 adoptions.

It makes for good TV after the reporters return from the shelters to the stations. Long Beach Animal Care Services does a doggone good job of it as well, even though only the dogs are star performers, with the staff and volunteers in supporting roles. The cats and rabbits were likely in their trailers negotiating contracts.

https://www.facebook.com/LongBeachAnimalCare/videos/2561217483898885/?t=9

Video courtesy of City of Long Beach Animal Care Services

You’ll get the chance to meet them all and shake paws this Saturday, Aug. 17. Adoption fees are $20, along with an approved application. Here are a few headshots of the little wannabe-your-babies presently housed at Long Beach Animal Care Services.

white cat with gray Siamese points lounging on surface
Sarabi (ID#A629344) is an 8-week-old snow-colored heartthrob—and quite a charmer, shelter staff and volunteers say. He’s fond of everyone and likes to be held. He’ll make a great companion.
Big orange cat stares into camera.
Billabong (ID# A629138) is a 5-year-old orange bloke who just returned from his foster. He’s a real man-cat! His owner died recently, and he needs a safe harbor and maybe a couple shrimp tossed on the barbie for him.
;arge tan dog with white chest looks at camera. He sits on the grass, upright.
Charm (ID#A593860) is well named—he’s a sweet, social golden-retriever mix, about 6 years old. His owner moved and couldn’t take him. He needs someone who can, and forever.
tan Chihuahua with huge ears and pink color and lead with blue neckband, stands on grass and looks at camera.
Iggy Pup (ID#A629224), a 4-year-old Chihuahua, was found as a stray. He co-kenneled well with his bandmates and gets along with everyone.

Clear the Shelter takes place Saturday, Aug. 17, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., at 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking fee for shelter visitors.

 Things to do, pets to support

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

Feline Good Social Club has opened! 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, reservations $15, adoption fees apply.

After a few pounces in the right direction, finally—feline-ally—Long Beach has its own permanent cat café! No coffee is needed to stay awake at this venue, unless, of course, you wind up with a giant purrer on your lap. Three entrepreneurial, passionate (a more apt descriptor than the one that usually precedes cat ladies) cat ladies have brought in rescue cats from local group Long Beach Felines to enjoy unlimited gourmet coffee and tea, yoga, a kids club and other activities with you. Yep—it’s all a wonderful plot to get you to take home one or two! Find out about all the events, merch and fantastic felines here!

Southern California Bulldog Rescue calendar photo contest: Aug. 1–Sept. 3, $25 per entry.

How’d you like that beautiful, drooly, jowly face that you adore to be a pinup girl or guy for the largest bulldog calendar in the world? Join in the photo contest for Southern California Bulldog Rescue’s 2020 No Bulldog Left Behind calendar! Entry fees will earn you a complimentary calendar and a chance to win by collecting as many pledges as possible. The top pledge getters will each have a month, and one will have the honor of being the cover photo! New this year is the opportunity to claim a special day to honor a birthday, a memory, an adoption day or any day that’s special to both of you. Visit the website for rules and details; contact [email protected] or [email protected] for questions. Only squatty little slobberers may apply!

Turtle and Tortoise Care Society, CTTC Long Beach Chapter: Friday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m., University Baptist Church, north building, 3434 Chatwin Ave., Long Beach, free to turtles and tortoises and their humans.

Guests will enjoy and ice cream social and turtles will enjoy whatever turtles enjoy as they watch videos about Galapagos tortoises and visits with Huell Howser and the Turtle Lady. Parking access is off Chatwin.

Clear the Rescues! Saturday, Aug. 17, noon–5 p.m., Sparky and the Gang’s dogs, PetSmart, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach; The Little Lion Foundation’s cats, PetSmart Cerritos, 12741 Towne Center Drive, Cerritos, and PetSmart Garden Grove, 9835 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove, special adoption rates apply.

Every unwanted animal deserves a home no matter where they are. Rescues often pull their pets from shelters, and bringing one home leaves a little gap in shelter kennel banks for another rescued animal. Wherever you adopt from, you’ll be saving the life of your new friend and making room in the shelter or rescue to save another.

Fix Long Beach Free CAT Spay/Neuter Clinic: Sunday, Aug. 18, 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St. Long Beach, free spay/neuter appointments for qualifying people; free microchips, shots, flea-med doses, dewormers and nail trimmings $10 each—no appointment necessary.

The best way to mitigate shelter euthanasia is to tamp the source, and that’s why we’re here. Our shelter and rescues are packed with cats, and everyone doing rescue is chasing their tail trying to get them all adopted. The best way for our community to help out is to turn off the taps at the other end so that more won’t be born. Appointments are available for future clinics—come make one at [email protected] or PM us on Facebook.

Pet donations for Fix Long Beach at Moonlight Movies on the Beach: Tuesday, Aug. 20, 8:15 p.m., beach at Granada Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, 5000 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, free movie and free parking

Wondering what the three stars of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is doing in a pet column? It’s not Matthew Broderick’s rebuked-puppy face but a new community effort by Alfredo’s Beach Clubs, teaming up with tireless community organizer Justin Rudd, for the Giving Back Project. Long Beach Transit, the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Stuff sponsor the event, and they’ve picked Fix Long Beach as the beneficiary. Fix Long Beach is asking for donations of food, treats and new toys for dogs and cats. Dinner, snacks and, of course, popcorn are available for purchase, and parking is (whee!) free after 6 p.m. Bring a blankie or a beach chair, and enjoy a film! Check all events here.

Benny’s Big Birthday Bash: Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Camp Run-A-Mutt South Bay, 945 W. 190th St., Gardena, $15 regular admission, $20 for admission and Quartermania.

Benny is the little cat who went through hell, was stuck in limbo for a while, and then reached a deserved paradise (you can read his story here.) Benny’s paying it forward, back and in every direction he can jump, which are surprisingly quite a few. Enjoy wine-and cheese tasting, quartermania, vendors and adoptive kitties, all of whom should go to as good a home as Benny has. All proceeds from the event will benefit Benny’s benefactors: Helen Sanders CatPAWS and Long Beach Animal Care Services. Tickets and more information are available here.

Drags for Wags, to benefit Sparky and the Gang: Saturday, Aug. 24, 4 p.m., Hamburger Mary’s, 330 Pine Ave., Long Beach, $10 donation

Some of the greatest ladies of the town will put on a show for their very besties—the adoptable doggies at Sparky and the Gang Animal Rescue.s Raffles and giggles all evening long! More information is available here; to reserve a spot, call 562-436-7900.

Doggie Paradise: Saturday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, $25 general admission for 4 years old and above, to include one dog; $20 for each additional dog; $50 VIP admission.

Even though they won’t be boarding the ship, humans will envy the cruise-type amenities offered this afternoon in September: splash pools, mutt-fashioned souvenirs for their humans at the arts-and-crafts table, a ball pit to go all Fido in, and, of course, a spa in which all the pooches can get shampoos and manicures. Enjoy contests for your pup and workshops for you puppy parents.The Cutest-Dog contest sure beats karaoke demos, and Instagram photos, vendors and other contests promise a fun-packed day. Don’t have a dog? Adoptable and fosterable pets from the Seal Beach Animal Center and Long Beach Animal Care Services can take care of that. Get the long version of the event here.

Blue building in distance, sign over it saying "Animal Admissions," between two white pillars. To the right is a banner with blue highlights and animal faces that reads "Adopt at Long Beach Animal Care.
The signage at the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village doesn’t specify which door leads to the shelter and which to spcaLA. But it’s easier to determine now. To adopt one of the pets in this article or any from Long Beach Animal Care Services–the shelter–pass through the door to the left of this banner, with the sign “Animal Admissions.”
Shelter Shenanigans

Have an overnight with a kitty with Foster Fridays! The shelter has kittens coming out of the walls—literally. The shelter manager constantly has a few in her office! Every Friday from 2-5 p.m., shelter staff is inviting residents who have the necessary accommodations—a safe space, time to feed them and play with them, and a propensity to say “Awwww!” every 15 minutes—to take a healthy, weaned kitten home for a while. Shelter will provide food, litter and a carrier and will cover any offsite medical. Time commitment is two weeks, with an option to adopt—of course! Foster fail! Have questions? Contact the shelter director at [email protected].

The Kitten Super Bloom and Bunny Adoption Special continue, featuring  $20 cat, kitten and rabbit adoption fees at Long Beach Animal Care and at all @spcaLA locations until fur-ther notice. Check out shelter manager Staycee Dains’ video. Again.

Your old towels and blankets wanted and needed at Long Beach Animal Care Services

Stop! Before you toss away the old towels or use them to sop up the oil on your garage floor, consider our shelter  animals! gently used hand towels and regular-size ones clean up messes in the kennels and dry off pooches and kitties after baths. Don’t forget small and medium-size blankets, too. Cats curl up on them and dogs are warmed and comforted. Drop by the shelter with them and a shelter staff member will help you take them in.

tiny scruffy Siamese kitten
Jellybean, courtesy of Long Beach Animal Services

Bottle feeders needed desperately, ongoing

This is Jellybean, and he’s eating gruel (think 6-month-old baby human in a high chair). He needs help getting all his food in his mouth and then cleaning his cutie-pie face after he’s finished eating. Photo courtesy of Long Beach Animal Care Services.

This year’s kitten season has been a downpour. Last Saturday, about 40 pets (in one day!) were brought to Long Beach Animal Care Services, and over 30 of them were kittens, many just born. Our shelter and the Long Beach Little Paws Project kitten nursery need help badly and immediately, whether you are an experienced bottle feeder or have never had a cat before. Compassion happens when the rescuing begins—private-message the shelter on its Facebook page with your contact info to help kittens in our shelter, like Jellybean. Please share the post on that page widely. If you’re not in our area, your local shelter kittens need your help, too.

Other/ongoing

Strut Your Mutt

Register for Strut Your Mutt Los Angeles

Best Friends Animal Society is teaming up with our partner rescue groups, shelters and animal-welfare organizations to help save the lives of homeless cats and dogs at Strut Your Mutt. Local Long Beach groups such as The Little Lion Foundation are participating, and animal advocates and lovers will be coming from everywhere. Register for the Walk or donate if you have a pet who just won’t be walked—cats come to mind. All funds raised go directly to lifesaving programs such as spay/neuter, adoption, and a KITTEN NURSERY! This year’s event is on Oct. 26 at Exposition Park in Los Angeles—all information is available here.

homeless man with longish brown hair and beard in old clothing sits on street closely cuddlinghis large tan-and-gray dog

Donations accepted for Pets of the Homeless

Pets of the Homeless’ home page gives a self-description as the only organization focusing only on providing food and care for pets belonging to homeless people. Businesses and other organizations across the country receive in-kind donations of food and other needs that the dogs and cats’ human families can pick up at outreach locations. The following Long Beach businesses will accept your donations:

Trendi Pawz, 255 Redondo Ave., Long Beach

Belmont Heights Animal Hospital, 255 Redondo Ave., Long Beach

Paw Shoppe Pet Center, Inc., 6416 E. Spring St., Long Beach

Food and supplies are available at Beacon for Him Ministries, 1535 Gundry Ave. Long Beach, Mondays from 9  a.m. to noon and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.; and at Christian Outreach in Action, 515 E. Third St., Long Beach,Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

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]. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes.

Chase Bank, 5200 East Second St., Long Beach

The Farmer’s Marketplace of Long Beach, 5000 E. Spring St. (Spring and Clark), Long Beach

Gelson’s Market, 6255 E. Second St.

Kahoots Pet Store, 18681 Main St. #102, Huntington Beach

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

PetSmart Cerritos, 12741 Towne Center Drive, Cerritos

PetSmart Compton, 1775 South Alameda St., Compton

PetSmart Garden Grove, 9835 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove

PetSmart, Long Beach Exchange, 3871 N. Lakewood Blvd., Long Beach

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

PetSmart Signal Hill, 2550 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill

Unleashed by Petco, 600 Redondo Ave.