Shelter Updates!

Some good news to share with you all and a testament to the hard work of shelter volunteers and networkers who do an amazing job of finding rescues and homes for the animals who could possibly lose their life at the shelter through no fault of their own.

Katherine of K9 Connection with Babs in Malibu

• Laurel was rescued by Ace of Hearts rescue. She still needs a real home so if you are interested in this wonderful dog she is now available through www.aceofhearts.org
• Babs was rescued by K9 Connection!! She had participated in their dog training program working with at-risk teens. What a great girl! K9 Connection is raising funds for Babs' boarding until they can find her a foster or even better a permanent home.  www.k9connection.org.  Just click on the Babs fund to donate!  Also, Babs has been awarded "Pet of the Month" at the Malibu Vet's office where she is being boarded! Not surprising!! http://www.malibuvets.com/

Laurel is thrilled to be with Ace of Hearts!

URGENT! Laurel A1247737 has LESS than 24 hours... loves people.

Laurel - ID#A1247737

URGENT!!

This wonderful dog named Laurel will be killed on Monday at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter if we can't find a rescue or adoptive home for her. Please help!

Laurel is a 5 yr. old spayed female, black and white American Staffordshire Terrier who has been at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter since Sept. 6, 2011. Laurel is a sweet young female who was found wandering the streets of South L.A. She was dirty and skinny and had had pups recently. It was thought that she may have been used for breeding and then simply thrown away. She was found "just hanging around someone's workplace". She was happy to have someone pay attention to her and be nice to her. She made herself at home and was ready to stay. She is described as "very friendly" and "not happy" which is no big surprise. She is very people friendly and loyal and when taken into the playyard she preferred to stay with the people looking for attention and companionship. In her run she wiggled her bottom and wagged her tail whenever anyone stopped by to see her. She is a sweet, wonderful dog who needs a chance to live and to be loved.


She is available now at the West LA Shelter on Pico Blvd.

Babs A1079163 deserves a break!!!

FANTASTIC BABS!!

A#1079163

Life isn't fair!!!  Those words were never more true than they are for Babs, a 4 yr. old brown and white spayed Staffordshire Terrier.  Babs never bit anyone, she didn't run away, she didn't destroy the furniture, she didn't eat the cat. She was a great family member!  She was loyal and loving towards her family and other dogs.  She had her favorite toys to play with and she had a family who loved her. Life was good!

But life isn't always fair and the life that Babs loved came to an abrupt end in Sept. 2010 when Babs's owners lost their home.  They relinquished her to the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter.  The people and home that she had loved so much were gone but Babs did not give up.  Dogs have amazing resilience. With tail wagging and a big smile on her face Babs greeted everyone who passed by her run.  

The weeks flew by.  People looked but no one stopped.  No one wanted her.  The end of her time at the shelter was fast approaching when after 6 months of waiting a miracle happened and she was adopted.  The story should have ended there but again as I said before "life is not fair."

In June 2011, Babs's new family moved. Apparently she did not fit into their plans so back to the shelter she came. The wait for a home started all over again.   

Since being at the shelter, Babs has become a valuable member of K9 Connection.  She is working with high-risk kids while she is  a shelter resident.

Babs in action at K9 Connection!

It is now October 2011 and Babs is still waiting.  For Babs, life indeed has not been fair.  She's a beautiful, smart, happy dog who loves to play and who loves people.  Even though she is not an aggressive dog, she has lunged at a few dogs during her K9 outings.  The K9 Connection staff who know Babs so well have commented that the stress from being in the shelter is taking its toll on Babs.  Their suggestion is that when she is adopted, a one dog house would be best for a "low level handler" but if adopted by an intermediate handler, they could handle this "kink" just fine.  They further believe that with a normal life, some rest, confidence and good handling this behavior would resolve quickly.

Please consider Babs as your new family member! She deserves a break!

West LA City Shelter  310-207-3266  Tues-Sat 8-5,  Sun 11-5 

11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 

Contact: Samantha Westbrook, NEW HOPE COORDINATOR

213-485-0494 / CELL  213-792-5811  aninewhopewla@lacity.org.

HERE COMES CHARLIE, THE LOW RIDER!!!

A#1247525  ADOPTED!!!

Put together a yellow Labrador Retriever and a Basset Hound and what do you get???  You get Charlie!  Charlie was found as a stray on Sept. 5, 2011 and has been at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter since that date. He is about one year old and has been neutered.

Charlie makes you smile!  He has the face and body of a Lab and the legs of a Basset Hound.  He is a high energy dog whose greatest joy in life is to play with a ball or any toy that he can find.  Charlie loves people and he expresses himself like any other Lab. through his beautiful light brown eyes.  Charlie is the kind of dog that you look at twice to make sure that you really saw what you saw. He is an amazing dog.

Charlie is a strong dog and will need appropriate handling. He will also need some training to be the best dog he can be.  For example, when walking through the shelter Charlie does react to the other dogs who are barking and jumping as he passes by. It's hard to tell if he has real "issues" with other dogs or if it's the environment.  Shelter life is stressful for the dogs in so many ways.  However, Charlie is still young and has a lot of potential!

Please help Charlie find his forever home.  Not only is he a loving, people-oriented dog but he will be a source of conversation wherever he goes. He is quite a unique boy and he deserves a home of his own.  Please help Charlie, the low rider Lab/Basset Hound! -- Mirja Bishop

West LA City Shelter  310-207-3266  Tues-Sat 8-5,  Sun 11-5 

11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 

Contact: Samantha Westbrook, NEW HOPE COORDINATOR

213-485-0494 / CELL  213-792-5811  aninewhopewla@lacity.org.

Sweet Sui A0921322 wonders why...

Sui ID#A0921322

There's a sadness in Sui's brown eyes as she gazes at you through the bars of her run.  Sui is a 9 yr. old black brindle and white spayed Pit Bull Terrier. 

Sui remembers when she was at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter 3 years ago. She was adopted by a family and it was everyone's hope that this would be the forever home that she longed for. Unfortunately for Sui it did not turn out that way. She was returned to the shelter by her owners on August 4, 2011.  No reason was given. She didn't do anything wrong. Perhaps they just didn't want an older dog.  Sadly this happens much too often!

Sui is a sweet, gentle dog who walks well on leash.  She delights in playing in the plastic swimming pool that is set up in the yard.  She walks in it, sits in it and lies down in it.  It brings a smile to everyone's face as they watch her run around the yard with the energy of a young dog and then take a flying leap into the pool. The look of sheer joy on her face is hard to miss. 

Sui thought that she had her forever home but life dealt her a nasty blow and so here she is back at the shelter again, 3 yrs. older and probably 10 lbs. heavier. She's a good dog.  She was always a good dog.  She didn't do anything wrong.  She needs the love and commitment from a special person who will see what a truly special dog she is.

Please help Sui.  She needs a forever home for the remaining years of her life. She's a happy dog who loves life and will bring some lucky person great joy. -- Mirja Bishop

West LA City Shelter  310-207-3266  Tues-Sat 8-5,  Sun 11-5 

11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 

Contact: Samantha Westbrook, NEW HOPE COORDINATOR

213-485-0494 / CELL  213-792-5811  aninewhopewla@lacity.org.

Sandy (A1219443)

Here is the lovely Sandy in action. Isn't she the sweetest. She is available for adoption right now at the West LA Shelter.

"STARR" - BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL - A Happy Ending Tail!

I just had to post this one! My good friend and colleague Mirja who has been writing up most of the pleas for the dogs depicted on this site, wrote this one about Starr, a nice dog who was literally on death row at the shelter.  Starr was a great dog that just wasn't attracting any attention so her hours were now numbered.  Talk about drama!  When networking shelter dogs, we sometimes don't know what will happen until the last possible moment...

Starr

The original plea

Starr is a beautiful 4 yr. old spayed Korean Jindo who was found as a stray and who has called the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter her home since July 1, 2011.  Time is running out for this sweet girl with the lush, soft gold and tan coat.  

For reasons that are hard to understand she is largely ignored at the shelter.  She sits at the front of her run looking quietly at everyone who passes by.  She doesn't jump, she doesn't bark, she just sits and stares perhaps resigning herself to the fact that no one will ever want her and yet Starr is a sweet dog who deserves a home and the love of a special person.

Starr walks well on leash.  She knows her commands and sits, goes down and gives her paw without hesitation.  She has a gentle mouth and loves her treats.  She would rather be close to her person than chase a ball or run around but that could well be because shelter life has taken the spirit out of her.

Please help this special dog find her forever home before time runs out for her.  Please don't let her die at the shelter.

Addendum:  Whoever said miracles don't happen will change their mind when they read the ending to this story. After working on this story today Oct. 13, 2011,  I emailed K, my favorite A.C.T., at the shelter to ask her if she knew how Starr was with other dogs.  I was anxious to start networking her feeling fairly certain that her time at the shelter was almost up.  K emailed me back that a woman had come to the shelter today and was interested in Starr but wanted to check with her husband.  How often do people say they will come back and then never do?

K put a memo in the computer but then she learned that Starr was to be euthanized today!  Thanks to K's notice, Starr was  given until the end of the day.  If the people did not return today she would be euthanized.  But the stars aligned for Starr and they did return.  Starr was adopted!!!  Thank you K for making this miracle happen.  Without her intervention Starr would have been euthanized before the people could return.  Oh my goodness!!!! -- Mirja

I just love a happy ending. :-) Best of luck Starr!!!