Update on Hollywood!!!

He's now at the West LA Shelter!!! Thank you Charla Fales!

I LOVE this dog Gio! He is a doll! PLEASE help him out!

This is a great dog, super nice and easy going. Friendly and completely non-reactive. I think he's a great guy! I hate to see him die at the shelter.

www.laanimalservices.com

Urgent! Please help put Marc de Luna out of the dog abuse business!!

Approximately two weeks ago, Marc De Luna was arrested on animal cruelty charges when he starved + severely neglected 67 dogs. If you are unfamiliar with
this case, take a look at this video.
http://cbs2.com/video/?id=122106@kcbs.dayport.com


Even though Marc DeLuna´s case is still in the investigation mode, it is
important that we all write professional letters and e-mails, stating that we
want him to be fully prosecuted for the horrible crime that he committed.
Please consider voicing your personal expectation as to how De Luna should be treated.

If you believe, as I and many others do that he should be charged with a
felony, please express this to both the DA and the Mayor. The more
letters and phone calls they receive, the stronger the is message that people
are concerned and are watching, expecting strong action by the City
Attorney's office. To date, De Luna is out on bail, facing a misdemeanor
charge.

Lee Goldberg with Animal Advocates suggested the following talking points for any letters or phone calls to Raul Salinas the DA for the City of South Gate:


1. Thank them for their efforts thus far with respect to the de Luna case.

2. Express their strong belief that de Luna's actions were so heinous as to
warrant felony criminal charges of animal cruelty.

3. Express their hope and expectation that the City Attorney's Office will pursue
the case against de Luna as aggressively as possible.


We should also encourage people to be respectful when contacting these folks and
emphasize that the investigation is ongoing, so it is not appropriate to attack
them.


Contact information for Raul Salinas (the City Attorney for South Gate):

He is only at the South Gate office on Tuesdays - His direct dial is 323.563.9538
and the number to his assistant Dina is 323.563.9550 and


FAX is 323.569.2678 - I would also suggest scanning the signed letter and
emailing it to Mr. Salinas for Urgent delivery at dzaragoza@sogate.org
(his assistant's email).


Additionally, to reach Henry Gonzalez (the mayor for South Gate), call 323.563.9543.

South Gate City Hall Mailing Address = 8650 California Avenue o South Gate,
CA 90280


If you would like to donate to help the dogs that are now in a rescue, here are
links to two groups that took some of the dogs


To help Petey on his uphill battle to be as healthy as he was when
he checked in, please make all tax deductible donations payable to


Whiskers and Tails Foundation, Subject: Saving Petey.

http://www.whiskerstails.org/


www.TheKrisKellyFoundation.org
an organization that took four dogs including one very sick dog named Kitchie.

Say good-by to Hollywood, unless someone gets him out of SLA NOW!

Look at this amazing dog!


Turned in because of a tragedy in the family. Separated from his life-long companion. Painfully skinny. Hollywood (A1079047, 4 year old, smooth collie / Husky mix, with one stunning blue eye and one ear standing upright, red-listed on 12/23 -- so nearly out of time!!!!) gulped down the big bowl of food we offered. And when we left the room, he cried continually until we returned. This is a dog who quickly develops strong bonds with the people who care for him. Obviously, there have not been many. Hollywood loves to bury his head in your lap, trying so hard to get close. He needs a friend -- and now.

Hollywood has been kenneled alone, probably because of his size (I think it was 72 pounds -- but should be considerably more -- those ribs show distinctly). He passed the test of walking through dozens of barking dogs without reacting -- but does seem interested in the smaller dogs.

Please make Hollywood your landmark. Call the South L.A. Shelter at (213) 485-0117 or -0119.
If possible, please drop me a line and let me know he is safe. Many thanks, Andrea ivegonetothedogs@gmail.com (323) 363-4909

Hurry up! Gorgeous Newfie mix at SLA needs help NOW!

Buck (A1081559, only 10 months old, red-listed on 12/21 -- so time is nearly up!!!) is a sizable sweetheart. He is the strongman at the shelter and is just as goofy as he is big and broad. He does need a competent handler to teach him the rules. But, his energy is all positive and he loves everyone. Buck has been kenneled with other large dogs and is probably the submissive one in the group. He has met smaller dogs at a distance, was interested but kept his tail wagging. This bundle of joy needs a home -- and right away. If you want to cuddle up with a dog your own size, call the South L.A. shelter at (213) 485-0117 or -0119.
And please let me know if you are the one to save him. I would love to pass along the good news.
Many thanks, Andrea ivegonetothedogs@gmail.com (323) 363-4909

HIGGINS IS AN OLDER GENT WITH A SMILE THAT WINS EVERYONE'S HEART.

Higgins (A1080366, already neutered, 9 years old, red-listed on 12/21 ? -- so nearly out of time) is such a proper and kindly gentleman. He's a cuddly-bear-sort of dog who somehow wound up in the shelter. He's made the best of it, entertaining his kennelmate Yogui whom he loves, wagging his tail at passers-by. But, when as darkness falls, Higgins fears. He fears that he may not make it out of the shelter alive. If you want a warm companion for these chilly nights, if you want a gentle soul who will love you unconditionally, please consider Higgins. You can meet him at the South L.A. shelter -- call them at (213) 485-0117 or -0119.
And kindly let me know that he is now smiling for you. Many thanks, Andrea ivegonetothedogs@gmail.com (323) 363-4909

Bad picture, good boy. Roger at WLA

Roger A0440651 Adult Shep mix

Roger is a great dog! Very chill, non-reactive to other dogs and easy on leash. He's about 8 years young and has lots of love and energy to give. I can even recommend Roger for an older person as he is very relaxed and easy to handle. Poor guy, he's lost a lot of weight at the shelter. He really needs a home where he can be warm and comfy and well fed! Don't you know a senior looking for a great companion???? Think Roger!

www.laanimalservices.com

Dogs at the shelter! Will they have a merry Xmas?

Panda A1067967 Adult Pit bull

Such a good boy! Panda is a loving pitbull who gets along with other dogs and just wants
to give and get love. Panda is a shelter favorite. Seems to be okay in various situations, not reactive at adoption events and shows very well. He likes everyone! Very sweet!

Red A1066594 Adult Doxie mix

I know why this guy is at the shelter! He's a fearful boy who knows how to use his teeth to relay
his message! IOW, ouch! That said, Red is really cute and actually a pretty nice guy once he gets to know you. I feel sorry for dogs suffering this kind of fear issue as it can really end up badly for everyone. I highly recommend his adopter to be an adult only family, one who can respect Red's need for space, one who will work with him and train him. Anything else probably will not be successful. Red seems okay with little dogs, but fear aggressive towards larger dogs. No cats!


Beau A1074924 Adult Great Dane/something mix

Beautiful Beau, from day one I fell in love with this gentle giant. He is a very beautiful dog with those coal edged eyes. Such a looker! He's very sweet but slightly subdued. I don't know if this has to do with his being at the shelter or what. He responses great to me and didn't seem reactive to other dogs. Not sure if he's dog friendly at this point. He was pretty easy to handle on leash. I think he's great and certainly deserves a chance at life!


Humus A1056547 Adult Rat Terrier

Humus is a funny little fellow. He's madly in love with some people and fearful of others. Once you gain his trust though, he is a velcro dog! He has a very adorable soulful face. He's really small and seems to be more head than anything else! What a character!! This boy is a snuggler so if you are in the market for a little lap doggie, Humus is your man! Best with adults!

All these dogs, plus many more are available at the
West Los Angeles animal Shelter:
www.laanimalservices.com

Big, Huge, Gigantic EVENT this weekend!!!

Hope to see you there!

This kind of thing KILLS ME!!!! Pittie puppies are sweet!

THEY WANTED TO MAKE ME A GUARD DOG

THEY WANTED TO THROW ME IN A BACKYARD, STARVE ME, MAKE ME ANGRY, MAKE ME BARK

I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. I LOVE PEOPLE. PLEASE HELP ME.

I was outraged yesterday when I went to get Maddox (A1078300, just a puppy at 6 months old, red-listed on 12/11 -- so has until this Friday) out of his cage. This man and his two sons were interested in this innocent -- only to turn him into a backyard guard dog. Yes, that look on Maddox's face is one of worry. Because these people can come back at any time -- especially during the "sale" days coming up -- and get him for half price. They can put him into a backyard, let the kids play with him for a couple of months. and then ignore him for two years, five years -- bringing him back to the shelter when he gets too old to do his job, too nasty to adopt out. We see it all the time. Earlier impound numbers, returned, unsocialized, still not fixed, worn out, beaten down. That's shelter reality.

Puppies don't come sweeter than Maddox. He is completely submissive, undeniably loving (it was hard to get him to stand still for photos -- tail continually wagging, body twisting and wriggling and all over the place), and unprepared for a world that won't treat him with decency. Please protect him from that fate that awaits. Call the South L.A. shelter at (213) 485-0117 or -0119.
And kindly let me know -- I'm very concerned. Andrea ivegonetothedogs@gmail.com (323) 363-4909

Debbie, she's an energetic lady!

Debbie is one amazing dog! She has a lot of energy and personality! She is one of those Rat Terriers who really make me laugh. Debbie would be great with a little more training and some activities to do. I could see her in agility!
Debbie would be better with older kids, but she'd be a great family dog.
She's fine with small dogs, but she is rather bossy. Typical!
Btw, the shelter has her listed as a Jack Russel but I think she's a Rat Terrier.

www.laanimalservices.com

Amazing shelter dog tails: Betty's Thanksgiving

November 28, 2009 – San Pedro, CA,

BETTY’S HAPPY TAIL!

A fourteen-year old dog, who escaped being put to sleep, twice, is returned to its original owner after five years apart. The dog, known as, “Betty” who spent the past couple of months at the Harbor Shelter in San Pedro, CA and was destined to be euthanized, was returned today, to the owner, who had originally adopted her at age 3-months, fourteen years ago.

A string of unlikely events brought Betty back to the owner, Kathryn Owensby, who adopted her from a Modesto, CA animal shelter fourteen years ago. The owner then moved over four hundred miles from Modesto to Long Beach, CA and brought her dog with her. Five years ago, she was forced to leave her beloved Labrador-mix with friends, when she moved back to Northern California. Fast forward five years and the Owensby was finally in a position to ask if she could take her beloved, “Kimmy” back. The friends she left the dog with, said no.

A couple of months ago, a tired, arthritic, grey-muzzled, old, black labrador-mix was brought into the Harbor Shelter in San Pedro, CA. She was named Betty at the shelter. She patiently waited to be picked-up, day after day, until, finally, due to space and time-limitations, her time was up and she was scheduled to be euthanized. A volunteer at the shelter, Nichola Gore-Jones took Betty for what she thought was her last walk. When she returned to the kennel, she said a tearful goodbye to the old girl and gave her a pile of biscuits as a farewell gift. But something special about this grateful old dog made her go to the shelter supervisor and ask if Betty could have one more week, to give Gore-Jones time to network the dog on the internet. The supervisor agreed.

Gore-Jones said, “With so many dogs desperate to find homes, we can’t save them all, but there was something so appealing about Betty that made me want to give it one more try.”

One week passed and no one came to adopt the dog. Now scheduled to be euthanized on a Sunday, the volunteer was standing at Betty’s cage on the day prior, when a woman, recording artist, Terri Lee Holm, asked if the shelter had an appropriate dog for an 80-year old man. Gore-jones & the rescuers she was chatting with suggested Betty. Holm agreed, but said she couldn’t pick the dog up for a week. But the shelter can’t hold dogs to wait for them to be picked-up, so the volunteer said she’d pay to board the dog for the week at a local veterinary clinic, if only Holm would adopt her.

Following a week in boarding, Holm and Betty made the two-hour trip from Los Angeles to Big Bear, CA to meet Holm’s 80-year-old father, who, having recently lost a beloved dog, said he just couldn’t take Betty. She understood her father’s reluctance and decided to try to find another home for Betty, rather than return her to the shelter. The dog did have a microchip, so Holm contacted the microchip company and found a telephone number for a prior owner. She called the number and after more research and many phone calls, finally found the dog’s original owner on Thanksgiving Day, who informed her that she had been trying to get “Kimmy” (aka Betty), back for a several years, but the family she had left her with five years before refused to give her up.

Owensby, who still lives in Modesto, CA, happened to be in the Los Angeles area for the holiday weekend, so, on the day after Thanksgiving, Holm drove from Big Bear, CA to Paramount, CA to reunite Kimmy with her original owner, the one she had been adopted by at 3-months old, fourteen years ago.

Kimmy returned to her original family, to the now, 13-year old child she grew up with and to the loving arms of her ecstatic, original adopter, Owensby, who says, “I’ll never let her go again! She’s never going to have to worry about anything ever again.”

Gore-Jones says, “It took several twists of fate and the help of several animal lovers, for this wonderful Thanksgiving reunion to happen. To me, every dog is worth saving and just one happy ending makes it all worthwhile!”

www.laanimalservices.com

Peyton's place shouldn't be the shelter!

Peyton participated in the K9 Connection program!

He was assessed to be safe around kids to be part of this program working with at risk kids.

This is a beautiful and intelligent dog. Please consider him as a potential family member!

Big Black dogs rule!

www.laanimalservices.com

Rescue only: Lucky hasn't been so lucky...YET!

P.S. Lucky did not bite an employee on intake. There is nothing in his history at the shelter to support this claim.

Coco ID#A0939629

This cross eyed cutie is such a high spirited dog! He loves to fetch and will play for hours. He's a wonderful dog for an adult family and probably best with a knowledgeable owner. He is very active so no couch potatoes!!! He would be really happy to run around outside and explore. Coco loves to play in water! No cats though...

He is only 2 years old and very healthy. Coco is already neutered so he's ready to go home today. He was turned into the shelter back in August because his family lost their home. He is now an urgent case!

It breaks my heart to hear all the stories of lost homes and financial hardship that are bringing all these beautiful animals into the shelter.

The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for some people and, as we see at the shelter, for many animals. Even though it seems like people are lining up to get a pet as a gift for their kids, it's actually a pretty slow period for shelter adoptions. Everyone is looking for a puppy while all these wonderful young dogs, bunnies and cats wait at the shelter. It kind of reminds me of the island of misfit toys... :-(

The shelters do what they can to encourage adoptions by offering discounts and having additional adoption events. For example the Found Animals Foundation is sponsoring the city-wide Save a Stray for the holidays event on December 19th. http://www.foundanimals.org/index.php/Events/Events/index.html

This is all good, but these events barely make a dent in the number of dogs that still are put down during the holidays.

In fact, the reality is that people are still losing their homes and jobs in Los Angeles. The animals have been the collateral damage from the housing crash. It's all pretty depressing and most of us know someone who has been touched by financial hardship. Apparently things are improving for the economy from what we see on Wall Street but not necessarily for the people who have yet to find a job or a decent place to live.

The good news is that you don't have to give up your animals if you are forced to move from your house. Many more apartments are allowing pets. I've been told by property managers that there are many available apartments in LA right now so it seems like it may be more possible to negotiate a deal now.

There are websites that are specifically focused on pet-friendly rentals. Some are free and others require a membership. However, even Craigslist shows if apartments allow pets or not. Again, with all the empty apartments out there, it really is a renter's market!

This is a pretty comprehensive list of renter's websites that can help: http://www.dogfriendly.com/mysearchp/mysearch.cgi?category=Apartments

Another thing, if you need help to get food or medical care for your animals, there are organizations that can help you. Lack of funds doesn't necessarily mean you have to ditch the family pet. Due to need, more organizations are forming programs to help keep animals in their homes. Even many city and county shelters are now offering some type of assistance for financial hardship.

In Los Angeles, PAWSLA, The Animal Health Foundation and Actors and Others are only a few of the organizations that can help with veterinary and other expenses. For a complete listing of all the CA and national orgs see The Humane Society's website.

Please spread the word to all who are looking for help during these tough times. Don't let people think that all is lost and that the shelter is the only option for their animals. There are resources out there for those who are willing to make the effort and keep their commitment to their pets.

Of course, for all those people looking to "buy" a holiday pet, please remind them that they should save a life by adopting a shelter animal! Adopt don't shop!!! www.laanimalservices.com

Video showing the Lancaster Shelter!

Someone sent this video of the Lancaster Shelter to me...
If this doesn't get you to a shelter, I don't know what will!

Trojan is a beautiful little white dog at N. Central NOW!

Trojan ID#A1077371 1 year old male

Available NOW at North Central Shelter
This adorable little guy is RED Listed after being at the shelter for 2 weeks. Why? There are so many BAD reasons...
Never shop, Always adopt!
www.laanimalservices.com