brown tabby with dignified expression stares into camera
From Long Beach Animal Care Services: With the dignified countenance of the likes of Morgan Freeman and Ricardo Montalban, Perfect is the perfect gentleman. He’s only a little over a year old, and so he’d also be the perfect longtime companion to a loving human.

Animal advocates often take the mic at City Council meetings to speak up for voiceless creatures. This Saturday, the pets take over.

The inaugural Home for the Pawlidays Pet Adoption Fair will be a literal occupaw of City Hall on Saturday, Dec. 14. Over 100 pets of every stripe, spot, patch and brindle from local rescues will be sitting up and begging their right to forever homes just by being adorable and winning. Their efforts will be buffered by pet vendors that include the Moon Cat Café and a bunch of folks who specialize in furnishings, clothing, food and toys for animals.

The public caucus, barkcus and meowcus will includes food, face painting, free microchips for pets and, most importantly, adoptions. Representatives from Stray Cat Alliance will demonstrate how to trap feral cats, and volunteers from the Long Beach Little Paws Project will show how to bottle-feed neonatal kittens. Pet Food Express will have gift bags for adopted pets, and opportunity drawings will benefit our shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services.

Pawlidays is a collaborative effort of the shelter and a lot of local rescues. Mayor Robert Garcia is sponsoring the event, with support from District 2 Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce. The entire gathering is serendipitous: Two cat-rescue groups were trying to put together an adoption event and were tussling with getting a permit from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine before their scheduled date.

“A parks person reached out to me to ask about it,” said shelter director Staycee Dains. “Because the groups happen to be our partners in other areas, I called them and asked them how I could help.”

Dains found that the permitting process would take too long to complete on time. She then tossed out the idea of an event between the shelter and the two rescues and asked the mayor if he’d sponsor it to help negate the necessity for certain permits. This was met with enthusiasm.

“Then we thought, why not make this a pet fair that would give our Long Beach pet businesses and rescues an opportunity to engage the community in a festive and fun way?” Dains said.

The City of Irvine Animal Care Center hosts Home for the Holidays annually, and Dains said that a number of residents had suggested to her that Long Beach should do something similar and make it an animal event as well. She and the staff tweaked Irvine’s title and came up with “Pawlidays.” Animal puns do rule.

Dains, her staff and the rescues plan to have a Home for the Pawlidays every year. If shelter pets—and there are, sadly, a lot of them—had the vote, they’d give the idea unanimous suppawt.

Read more about Home for the Pawlidays in Adopt, adopt adopt, and check out some of the fine furries from the rescues. Click the links to see more pets from each one and adoption application and contact information.

brown tabby with dignified expression stares into camera
From Long Beach Animal Care Services: With the dignified countenance of the likes of Morgan Freeman and Ricardo Montalban, Perfect is the perfect gentleman. He’s only a little over a year old, and so he’d also be the perfect longtime companion to a loving human.
Black-and-white cat with black smudge on nose, white paws, and white mask and chest lies on fluffy white rug and stares into camers.
From Helen Sanders Cat Paws: Anakin is a young rebel! This boy loves to run around and play with all the toys. He loves to jump, chase, and ungracefully slide across the floor. He loves playing with other cats and would make an awesome buddy for a young Jedi looking for a pet!
brown tabby with white mask and purple sweater stares lovingly into camera.
From Jellicle Cats Rescue Foundation: Phoenix is our miracle kitty! He was the kitten found in the Coolidge Triangle neighborhood during a house fire right before Halloween. He was given oxygen by firefighters, rescued by the shelter, and rehabilitated as a Jellicle Cat! This little dude has been through so much, but he’s now completely recovered from his major surgery to repair a diaphragmatic hernia. His broken rib is all healed up, too, so now he is ready for a home! He’s a sweet, funny, clumsy oaf of a boy who loves cuddles and treats and will tell you all about how hungry he is. He’s not a huge fan of dogs but would love another kitty to play with. He’s about 7 months old now, neutered, and ready to go home!
White pit bull with tan ears and blotch over back and face wears a colored scarf and smiles into camera. Sits on brown-tile floor with Christmas presents in back.
From Blockhead Brigade and I Pitty the Bull (is that a great name for a rescue, or what?): Miss Evie is an affectionate and playful 2-year-old who has a naturally sunshiny disposition. She’s looking for a home that will appreciate her adorable enthusiasm for life and living it to the fullest, her zing, her sheer excitement for play and people, and her incredible snuggability.
Three shots of a soulful-looking mediumhair brown tabby looking into the camera.
From Zoey’s Place Rescue: Victoria was rescued three years ago by our shelter. She was 3 years old then. She was found abandoned in a ditch, completely matted and with her paw pads infected because of overgrown claws. A young woman adopted her and took great care of her but sadly had to return her to Zoey’s Place because of financial hardship. Victoria, now 8 years old, is Maine coon mix with a gentle nature and a need for quiet home to spend her golden years as the only cat in the home.
Siamese cat with big head, black maks and ears, black socks, white paws and chest, and blue eyes stares into camera
From House of Broken Cookies: Raaahh! Mr. Darcy is a very sweet boy. He loves to be petted, has a powerful purr, and enjoys lots of attention. Mr. Darcy was rescued from our shelter with a broken leg that required surgery to repair. He’s still healing from this ordeal, and we’re getting to know him more and more. He’ll be available for adoption in the next couple of weeks. [Note: House of Broken Cookies takes in cats with issues that could otherwise make them unadoptable—blindness, birth defects, severe injuries—and keeps them until they go home. Commendably, many of them do.
white cat with black streak on forehead
From The Cat Cove Pet Rescue: Gorby (Gorby?) needs someone that speaks cat! He comes to people for attention on his terms. He is not a hold-me cat, but he’s definitely a play-with-me one! He’ll come and let you pet him and love on him and will walk away when he’s done. When he gets overstimulated, he can be a little nibbly but won’t bite hard or break the skin. Doggies and children are no-noes, but he can get along with other cats. With an experienced person who lets cats be cats, he’d do great!
White cat with black mark on head gazes soulfully into camera.
From The Little Lion Foundation: Mollie is a 10-month-old beauty with the most poignant expression I’ve seen on a cat lately. She would do very well as an only cat.
little white terrier looking at camera
From Live Love Animal Rescue: Lovely Louie is his name! He’s 5 years old and weighs about 15 pounds. With his snow-white fur and medium size, he just might be the perfect dog! He loves his crate and is friendly with dogs, cats and all critters—people, too! He’s a little shy at first, but a few treats and a little time help him warm right up. A calm, quiet family would be the perfect present for this sweetheart!

One thing more—every year, The Scratching Post reminds people that pets aren’t gifts. We’re the gits to them, although it works both ways, figuratively speaking.

But people still promise their kids, spouses, friends and other loved ones a puppy, a kitten or a bunny for Christmas. So, here’s what you do: Download the handy coupon above and hand it to the recipient. Then, go with them to the shelter or a rescue and have them and the new friend pick each other out. You pay the adoption fee and buy whatever extra needs and goodies you like. Everyone’s happy.

And remember, adult pets need the gifts as much as the babies. Maybe more.

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.

Events

 Inaugural Home for the Pawlidays Pet Adoption Fair: Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Long Beach Civic Center, 411 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, adoption fees vary

Be the best Santy Claws at the mall at this great event! The best gift in the world is a forever home for a cat, a dog or a rabbit, and there are good little critters from our shelter and local rescues who are deserving. About 100 of them will be present Receive free microchips for your pets, learn how to bottle-feed fragile newborn kittens, and take home items from a raffle that will benefit our shelter pets. This inaugural event is sponsored by Mayor Robert Garcia with support from Second District Councilmember Jeannine Pearce. It’s held in collaboration with the Little Lion Foundation, Helen Sanders CatPAWS and Long Beach Animal Care Services, with support from Stray Cat Alliance, The Cat Cove, Live Love Animal Rescue and others.

Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic: Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Somerset Park, 1500 E. Carson St., Long Beach, free spay/neuter appointments for qualifying people; free microchips, shots, flea-med doses, dewormers and nail trimmings $10 each.

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 dogs, 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. Remember: it’s the law to fix your pet in Long Beach, and Fix is here to help you do just that. Appointments are available for future clinics—make one at [email protected], or PM us on Facebook. More information is available here.

Santy Claws Photo Ops: Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14, 15, 21, 22, noon–4 p.m., Petco, 6500 Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, and PetSmart, 12341 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach

Helen Sanders CatPAWS has already laid out the glass of goat milk and dog cookies, so all you need to bring is your pet to get their photo taken with Santa. You can always adopt a kitty there and pose with them—you know, that’s what any of them would ask for if they sat on Santa’s lap—a loving home.

Mercury Wine Club’s Sip and Support fundraiser for Live Love Rescue: Saturday, Dec. 21, kollin altomare architects 4265 E. Conant St., Suite 101, Long Beach, $15 tasting fee online or $20 at door.

Drink a little merlot for the mutts. Mercury Wine Club is offering 20% of purchases and tasting tickets to Live Love Pet Rescue. All pours are from wineries that give back to rescues and animal welfare. Bottles are available for purchase. Further details are available here.

Ongoing

Operation Santa Paws: P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, to Dec. 21

It’s the most wonderful time of the year if you’re a cat, a dog or a bunny spending the holidays in a kennel in a shelter. Long Beach’s most unstoppable community organizer, Justin Rudd, knows everyone, including Santa Claus’ more furry brother, Santa Paws. Mr. Paws will be stopping at four shelters, beginning with Long Beach Animal Care Services and continuing to spcaLA, Seal Beach Animal Care Services and the new Orange County Animal Care Services in Tustin. Santy needs help filling the sleigh, so you get to be an elf. You can either set up a collection box in a local business—doesn’t have to be in Long Beach—or you can purchase toys and shelter needs—the pets’ version of underwear and socks—and drop them into boxes that have been set up (check the link here for the wish list, the destinations and other information). The best part is following Santa to the shelters and watching the pets enjoy their gifts. Maybe you’ll be the one to give one of them the ultimate present—a forever home—but no pressure.