UPDATE: We have a contest winner (jeez you guys are fast spellers)! 

Want a couple of free tickets to a ridiculously wonderful doggie doin’?

Doggie Paradise will be held Sept. 14 on the Queen Mary and will have everything for your dog that you wish someone would give you: ball games, manicures, glamour photos, shopping, Reiki massages (see Things to do, pets to support). If you’d like to go with your dog, I have two tickets for the first person who sends me the correctly spelled (according to Merriam-Webster Collegiate) names for these dog breeds (many of which can be found in shelters—there’s my soapbox for the weekend). The pronunciations are my own keys—I’ve tried to avoid the Jersey accent:

  1.  CHEW-wah-wah
  2. DOX-hunt
  3. DAL-may-shun
  4. VISH-luh
  5. SHNOW-zer
  6. AF-uhn-pin-cher

Send your entry to [email protected], and include contact info. We’ll get the tickets to the first person whose time stamp is the earliest and whose spellings are correct.

If you don’t have a dog but want to go anyway, or if you don’t have enough dogs at home, Long Beach Animal Care Services will be there with their adoptables, so you can acquire one if you qualify. Can’t wait? Here are a few candidates:

https://www.facebook.com/LongBeachAnimalCare/videos/416974385594678/

Nothing can stop this pup when it comes to water. Frisco (ID#A629483) is your go-to guy for high-octane fun! He works hard, he plays hard, and then he wants to chill with you. He needs a home—hopefully with a pool! He’d be a perfect date for the splash at the Queen Mary!

Bruiser (ID#A632425) is a frisky 7-year-old who needs to be the apple of one singular owner’s eye. Cute and small, this furry friend will make a great companion. He’d love a manicure with red nails to go with his bandanna. which the Doggie Paradise estheticians might be able to do!
Ruby (ID#A521562) is a kind, loving, mature Labrador retriever. This 9-year-old needs someone special to care for her, as she has a skin condition that requires attention. The photo of her and shelter ubervolunteer Gary says it all: Ruby has unconditional love in her heart. She’d love a stroll on the QM deck.
The shelter staff thinks that Tahoe (ID#632119) has eyes like David Bowie’s. What a great idea it would be to get a photo portrait of him at Doggie Paradise! Tahoe’s pretty spunky and would do well with an active family who loves to doggie-dance!
Sign saying "Animal Admissions" at left between two pillars in front of a blue building. At right is a banner saying "Adopt at Long Beach Animal Care. Adoptions Save Lives" in blue, black and white.
This banner marks the shelter’s entrance.
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.

Helen Sanders CatPAWS Show Us Your Kitties calendar photo contest: through Sept. 30; $5 per vote, $10 to feature your cat on a specific date.

Helen Sanders CatPAWS rescues cats and kittens from shelters and finds each of them loving homes. You’ll see quite a few of them on next year’s calendar, but your kitty doesn’t have to be a CatPAWS alumnus or alumna to be a part of this 2020 vision (heh). Choose a date for $10 for a thumbnail, or enter the contest to feature your little buddy. You can enter as many votes as you like for your cat, and perhaps he or she will be the Moggie of the Month! Details available here.

Image courtesy of- @3aussienbrothers.

Doggie Paradise: Saturday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queens Hwy., 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.

Turtle and Tortoise Care Society, CTTC Long Beach Chapter meeting, featuring pancake tortoise talk and actual pancake snacks: Friday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Ave., free to turtles, tortoises and their well-behaved humans

On the right: to eat. On the left: not to eat. Dr. Michael Tuma will speak about his experiences and research on this singular species of shellback. Pancakes will be served, which is in itself a singular choice. The club will provide the snacks and is asking club members to come early to help mix the batter and bring toppings. Shelling out tips and donations is encouraged.

Fix Long Beach Free Spay/Neuter Clinic, sponsored by Justin Rudd and the Community Action Team: Saturday, Sept. 21, 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Marine Stadium, 5255 Paoli Way, 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.

Home at Last! pet adoption event: Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies, 4700 Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, adoption fees apply

Coldwell Banker’s fifth annual pet-awareness and –adoption event will help raise awareness about the situation of cats, dogs and rabbits in our shelters and rescues, and will give the community an opportunity to take one (or two) home. Enjoy games and raffles, the proceeds of which will fund the participating shelters and rescues.

Music for Mutts and Cats: Thursday, Oct. 3, 5–9 p.m., Steelcraft Long Beach, 3768 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, in-kind and monetary donations accepted

Actually, the music is for you, and the benefits will go to Long Beach Animal Care Services to help care for the dogs, cats and bunnies who are waiting there for homes. Bring along pet toys, cat litter, blankies, towels, food and anything you think a pet would like. Cash donations, of course, are welcome. Steelcraft will donate 10% of the evening’s tab to the shelter.

Sparky and the Gang’s Fourth Annual Black Dog Tan Chihuahua event: Saturday, Nov. 16, 4–10 p.m., 250 N. Tribune Court, Long Beach, entrance TBA

Prohibition-themed event to raise funds for Sparky and the Gang dog rescue. Dress up in your dapper flappers. Can we say barkeasy? Al Ca-Bone, maybe? More information available here.

Shelter Shenanigans

Ringworm is not a worm, a cause for shame or a death sentence for an animal. Ringworm is a fungal infection similar to athlete’s foot and highly curable, but as a word of caution, it’s contagious to humans. The isolation ward is full of kittens with ringworm, and no other animals can stay there. This exacerbates the space crunch at Long Beach. In accordance with her Compassion Saves approach, which cites “the values of saving every life that is treatable,” shelter director Staycee Dains is asking anyone wanting to help save these little lives and also can give them proper care to take home one or more of the ringworm kitties to foster. As with all fosters, the shelter will provide all the supplies and support necessary for you to help an unfortunate kitten to grow up into a healthy, bright-eyed, purring cat. Please contact Dains at [email protected] for information.

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! The shelter is at capacity, especially where cats are concerned, so fosters are sorely needed. Every Friday from 2-5 p.m., shelter staff invite 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..

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.

Instructional Pack Walk: First Saturday of the month, 10–11 a.m., Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, free, donations accepted

The public is invited to take part in a walk sponsored by Trot’s Dog Walking and Training that will help you and your best buddy learn proper leash manners and focus on each other instead of the distractions of the “real world.” Trot’s experienced pack leaders are there to guide you through the process. Meet at the park at the corner of Ocean and Junipero at 10 a.m.

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., Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Donations will be gratefully accepted at these locations as well.

Adopt, adopt, adopt

tiny black newborn kitten with white paws and white marks on chest sits up with his legs splayed out as he's fed from a bottle

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 E. 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. 2nd 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

PetSmart Towne Center, 7631 Carson Blvd., Long Beach

Unleashed by Petco, 600 Redondo Ave.