“Ooohhhh, take you ridin’ in the car, car!” Lucy doesn’t need to hear two notes from the beloved Woody Guthrie song before she leaps into the seat, tail a-wag and settles in to see the sights and smell the smells along the way. Lucy, a 3-year-old German shepherd, loves Fido Field Trips and doing zoomies in the grass at the park or in the play yard at Long Beach Animal Care Services. Volunteer Gusti said that Lucy loves spa days at the shelter best of all. “The tub is her absolute throne,” Gusti said. “She leans into the warm water and sudsy massage, considers towel time the main event, and happily snuggles in for simultaneous pets under the warm dryer.” Lucy didn’t always have such a gusto for life. When she came to the shelter, she had been clearly neglected in body and soul — she was terrified and in pain. She hid in her kennel, and Gusti said that the patient, whispered dog affirmations from volunteers Colleen and Gary finally coaxed her out and kept her out with love and play. The ideal home for Lucy would be a calm place, preferably without small kids and with a patient, kind human with a big bathtub! Lucy loves those baths, and she needs two a week to keep her skin healing. Speed the process to adopt Lucy or any of our other pets by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call (562) 570-4925. Our shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Ask for ID#A717903.

Paisley has just completed her first full year at Long Beach Animal Care Services. Paisley’s an active girl with some trust issues. Even with all the attention she gets from the staff and volunteers — playtime, treats and toys, snuggles and a recent Fido Field Trip to the Seal Beach Pier and volunteer Patti’s house — spending the better part of a day cooped up in a kennel for a year is a sure way to stress out a playful doggie. The best celebration for this excuse for an anniversary is for someone to come forward and take Paisley home forever. According to Patti, Paisley will withhold judgement for about a minute and then will be your best friend forever. By the way, she’s fond of apple slices! Speed the process to adopt or foster Paisley or any of our other pets by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call (562) 570-4925. Our shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Ask for ID#A739902.

Ruby (ID#A752945) is indeed a jewel. She loves to run, toss her stuffies around, get people up for a game, and gently, so gently, accept treats. If you’re human and Ruby doesn’t know you, she wants to remedy that right away, and if you’re a friendly canine, she wants to get you into a game whose rules are known only to dogs. With all that energy, Ruby’s running into some problems in the kennel. She’s shown signs of kennel stress, and she needs to be out of the kennel and into a home. She’s only 2 years old and deserves to lead a full life. Want a good, loyal German shepherd buddy? Adopt or foster Ruby by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call (562) 570-4925. Shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Ask for ID#A747689.

Will ya look at Wedge, all dressed up and ready to play kissy-face in a big way! Wedge’s tongue is as big as his personality — he’s a goofy, playful German shepherd mix just out of puppyhood. The volunteers and staff love him, and he’s had successful meetups with families that included rambunctious children. Wedge really likes kids and other dogs as well! He knows his basic commands, loves to play, and is ready to be the family dog. How about yours? The shelter’s way over capacity with dogs, so speed the process to adopt or foster Wedge or any of our other pets by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call (562) 570-4925. Our shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Ask for ID#A744861.

“Hey, Santy! It’s me, Bandit! I was hoping that you’d ask me to help pull the sleigh this year—huskies are very good at this, you know. But I realized that you knew full well that the minute you stopped at the right home for me, I’d beat you down the chimney or however you get in, curl up under the tree, and refuse to leave.” Bandit’s correct. He’s been kenneled for over a year now, and despite the walks and Fido Field Trip breaks, he’s still there. He’s a good boy—he plays well with other dogs with similar energy and strolls slowly on leash, never pulling the walker along. He’s 5 years old and needs a home with humans familiar with the breed who’ll give him the late holiday gift of a forever and ever home. Speed the process to adopt or foster Bandit or any of our other pets by emailing PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call (562) 570-4925. Our shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Ask for ID#A724562.