Film "No Kill" is on tonight on KCET at 10pm: Watch!

http://www.kcet.org/shows/fine_cut/no-kill.html

Every year, five million dogs and cats are killed in animal shelters across the United States. Most were once someone's pet. NO KILL documents the unending tidal wave of abandoned pets in the city of Los Angeles and how animal services staff and volunteers deal with the constant threat of euthanasia. Witness an intimate portrait of the shelter environment through the eyes of four surrendered pets - Penny, Dotchie, Patience, and Rex - and what fate awaits them.

NO KILL also shows us there is a better way. The largest animal shelter in Reno, Nevada, has embraced the No Kill philosophy, a restructuring of how animal shelters are run in order to drastically increase lifesaving and eliminate unnecessary euthanasia. Capture a glimpse into how a No Kill shelter works through the eyes of a dog named Charlie, a surrendered Brussels Griffon.

NO KILL tells the heartbreaking but inspirational story that befalls so many animals every day.

The Happy Ending Project: Jessie & Callie

Although this series focuses on West Los Angeles dogs, there are wonderful Happy Ending stories to be found all over. This is one of them.

Jessie and Callie: Everyday is a Holiday

By Marda Winnick

They were a family, you know, with the proverbial happy home in San Diego County. There were six of them—3 dogs and 3 cats—and their humans, who had them since they were young.

And then one day they no longer owned a house, courtesy of the recession. The home foreclosing, the family was forced to move out, leaving their pets behind in the now-abandoned dwelling. It’s not that they didn’t care, but they, like so many others, just couldn’t take their pets with them. They returned when they could to provide food and comfort. Grateful for that, 14-year-old Callie, 5-year-old Jessie, and their elderly brother waited in the lonely house, missing their humans, and although thoroughly housebroken, were forced to do their business inside their home.

The three cats were eventually turned into a local shelter. The three dogs waited patiently for their family. One day their brother was taken away and put down because the family couldn’t find a home for him. The family did not want to turn in the girls to a shelter because they knew that with Callie being fourteen, she would most likely suffer a similar fate, and Jessie would lose her best friend.

So then there were two in the silent, deserted home. Weeks went by and still they waited, but to no avail.

And then, as sometimes happens for a fortunate few animals, a chain of events is set in motion. One day an appraiser showed up to evaluate the home for the bank and discovered the dogs. He mentioned to his wife that they were there by themselves, the owners had moved out, and they needed a home. She contacted a dog lover friend, Escondido-based realtor Geri Bekmanis of Bekmanis & Associates who asked the appraiser to arrange a meeting with the owners at the home to take pictures, get their story, and network the two girls to find an immediate foster home.

When Geri showed up at the house a jarring sight greeted her: a kitchen strewn with paper and garbage and that reeked of pet waste. One dog was staring forlornly out the window. She knew time was critical to get the dogs out of there. She networked and within a few days had lined up a foster home. When she called the owner to arrange to pick up the dogs she learned that the county had just put an impound notice on their door because the dogs had been reported as appearing abandoned.

Geri got to the home quickly and left with the two dogs. They literally had nothing: no beds, no toys, an almost empty bag of food, old tattered collars, and only one leash. First stop was the vet, who pronounced them in surprisingly good health. In fact, Callie is a very spritely senior. Then to the pet store where she bought them new collars and leashes, had them bathed, and then took them to their waiting foster home. To ensure they got off to a good start, she also supplied the foster with a pet store gift card and some cash.

They were safe, but couldn’t remain in foster care indefinitely. And considering they been together all their lives, they really needed to find a home together. A task akin to finding hens’ teeth.

And so the search commenced to find them a home. Geri reports she sent over 1,000 e-mails and posted them on Craigslist, Petfinder, and myriads of rescue websites. One day Jessie and Callie were even featured on San Diego television. Nothing.

More than 100 miles away, long-time pet owner Paulette Cohn had recently lost her dog and was thinking it was about time to get another one. She had looked, but none had “spoken” to her. Actually, she was thinking about more than one so they could keep each other company during the day. “I wanted two dogs, dogs that were bonded, but that was hard to find.” She knew; she had looked.

Then one day she received an e-mail from a friend with the dogs’ photo and story. She immediately called Geri and told her that she just knew that these girls were hers. “They just spoke to me,” she recalls. Yes, hens’ teeth!

She completed the adoption paperwork; arrangements were made; and on May 2 Jessie and Callie no longer had that long, lonely wait for someone—anyone—to come. At last, they were home.

And gourmet cooking to boot. Paulette makes their food herself and is slowly transitioning them from store bought to her own mix, tailored to their dietary needs.

“They are adjusting really well, “she reports. Jessie, the shyer of the two, has really started to come around. They are playful and affectionate. In fact, she reports, “I wake up in the morning to kisses.”

She also reports a surprise this past Sunday: a Mother’s Day “card” from the girls. Maybe the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Paulette, but everyday is now a holiday for Callie and Jessie.

Adopt, Save a Life!

The Happy Ending Project, better late than never!

Another in a series of stories written by volunteers about dogs they helped save. These stories illustrate the wonderful outcomes that are produced through our volunteers' commitment to saving these animals. I hope you will find them inspiring!

Keeping Hope alive: A boy and his dog

by Marda Winnick

Sometimes, the most heartwarming stories are not about socializing or rehabilitating a dog to make it more adoptable. Sometimes, they are more about the families who adopt them. (Because this family did not wish to be identified, all names and other identifying information have been changed, and unfortunately, there will be no photos.)

The volunteer spotted “Hope” immediately, a big furry ball of gentleness and dignity, a new dog that had just arrived at the shelter and was being walked in the yard.

But, she was 8-years old. It’s not that older dogs don’t ever get adopted, but it can be a long wait. Sweet and well mannered though she seemed to be, this could be a challenge.

Soon thereafter the volunteer stopped to help a mother and her son, who were looking for their first dog. Sensing some uncertainty on the mother's part, the volunteer discovered that the parents, born abroad, had never been around dogs as pets before. The mother was nervous, but determined that their son should have a pet. The son really wanted a dog, but confided he was concerned about his mother's fears, which caused him some hesitation. It was clear how much they loved and were concerned about each other.

It was sort of like a canine “Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry's classic short story about giving and receiving.

This would take a special match, and the volunteer immediately thought of the dog she had just met. At eight, Hope was mature and obviously had come from a loving home. The introduction was made, and as they say, it was love at first sight for young “Trevor”.

Throughout the adoption process both mother and son separately expressed their concerns to the volunteer. Hearing all this, Volunteer Coordinator/ACT Charla Fales whispered to the volunteer, “I’ll bet she is returned.” And she, concerned Charla might be right, was determined to make sure this adoption stuck.

Since they were first-time dog owners, she volunteered to help them with Hope’s training. What she knew was that Hope didn’t need any training; indeed, Hope was one of the most balanced dogs she had come across. Rather, it was the family who needed some help.

She called the next day to make an appointment to visit, and was crushed when Trevor said they had decided to return Hope. His mother thought she was too big and that a puppy would be a better match. Reading between the lines, the volunteer knew that if a calm, well-behaved dog like Hope made Nadia nervous, a puppy would be far worse, and gently conveyed her thoughts.

Twenty minutes later, Trevor called back and said they had decided to keep Hope. Wasting no time, the volunteer set a time to meet with them.

Trevor had a wonderful instinct with Hope and learned quickly about leadership and how to handle her. And it was clear the bond that had immediately developed between them.

So now, attention turned to the parents. “David” seemed okay, so Nadia was the focus. The volunteer patiently addressed her questions and concerns over the course of several visits and phone calls and gradually saw a change in her. Flash forward: Trevor reports that his mother now loves Hope.

Norman Rockwell could have had Trevor and Hope in mind when he created his famous “A Boy and His Dog” portrait. Only in this version you’d have to add David and Nadia.

Go visit your local shelter!

Adopt, don't shop!

The Happy Ending Project: A video story... Dottie!

Sometimes pictures can tell a story better than words ever could. A while back at the WLA Shelter we had a beautiful Malinois puppy who was very confident and smart. As cute as she was, we wondered if we could find her a the right person. Often confidence and intelligence can be trouble in some dogs if the person who adopts the puppy doesn't know how to reign in that combo.

Fortunately for this little girl, she found the PERFECT home! She is now being trained in dog agility. Her mind is being exercised as well as her body. She not only gets exercise, but also socialization being around other dogs. What a great outcome. We hope to follow Dottie's progress as she becomes an agility champ!


Dottie as a cute puppy at WLA before her rescue



Dottie today, practicing agility with her wonderful guardian!

Adopt, don't shop! Go visit LAAS to find your next champ!

Chipper manages to stay chipper. He's in trouble though...

Wow, there are some RAD doggies at WLA!!!

Chloe*Pitbull mix*young*F*A1044458

Louie*Corgi mix*adult*M*A1056749

Shyla*Lab/pit mix*young*F*A1038056

Curtis*Pitbull*young*M*A1052996

Bijou*Pitbull*adult*F*A1053024

Yesterday at the Roxbury Park adoption event we had some amazing dogs with us who are all dog friendly! Wow! That sure makes the day pleasant!

Shyla and Curtis had a BLAST playing all day. Both dogs are sweet and non-reactive when approached by kids and other animals. Curtis is a strong boy but very good natured and obedient. Shyla's a little smaller and not as muscular but she has an enormous amount of energy! Both are fantastic dogs! You can see their video on my previous post.

Chole is a beautiful dog with an unusal face. She's probably got some Mastiff in there. Her expression also reflects the difficult life that she has experienced during her short lifetime living in a animal hoarding situation. She was actually one of the few large dogs amongst many small dogs. She's a very sweet girl who really needs a loving home and a commitment. She seems to enjoy the company of other dogs.

Bijou is a gorgeous girl who is also a little rambuncious! In a good way though. She likes other dogs and seems very well balanced. She would be a great dog for someone who can handle her strength and fun-loving character. She seems to do well with people and animals, not sure about cats.

Last, but by no means least, the greatest dog EVER in my humble opinion is Louie. He is so incredibly chill, he just hangs out with you. People, kids, dogs of every size don't seem to phaze him. He's like okay, let's see how this goes... He is such a wonderfully balanced dog, I mean really incredible. He's not much of a player, but more like a trusted companion. How I LOVE this dog!!!

This is just a small sampling of the many wonderful dogs that are currently at the shelter. We have loads of little guys, medium cuties and of course larger sweetie pies! You just have to go to the shelter to see them, it's definitely worth the trip!

www.laanimalservices.com

Gorgeous Guiness at West Valley Shelter has been ADOPTED!

Adopted!!

Thanks to all for saving this GEM of a DOG!!!

HIS TIME IS VERY LIMITED--ONLY UNTIL 7/29 BEFORE HE IS PUT DOWN.

We have some different ways to approach saving this lover boy:

1. A Rescue can take him (and be lucky to have him)

2. If we have a foster we have a rescue.

3. If someone who is fostering a small dog can foster Guiness instead, Marda is able to foster a small dog.

4. If funds can be collected/pledged to board Guiness he can be rescued.

Either contact me directly thru this blog: lola4dogs@gmail.com or

OR CALL THE WEST VALLEY SHELTER TO RESCUE!!213/485-8405

Guiness ID# A1018021

For more info see July 17 post on this blog. Thanks!

My new favorites at West LA

Champ A0692443
This guy is so sweet and cuddly. He just loves the love and wants to shnuggle with his person. He also likes other dogs. He's a little nervous at the shelter, but who could blame him!

Milly A1013652
This girl is really great. Doesn't really have any "issues" and even does okay with other dogs/animals. This girl needs a family to rescue her!!!

Bamboo A1033644
What a sweet guy. He's just a love bug. He's a shelter favorite!

ADOPTED! Minnesota A1034225
This is a wonderful girl who is easy and playful. So pretty and a perfect size. She's just happy and peppy and waiting to go home with you!

All these dogs are at the West LA Shelter! They all need a home ASAP, so don't wait if you are interested in meeting them. Check out these dogs and many others at: LAAS