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Poppy, May 29 Pet of the week

May 28, 2026 By Leave a Comment

Poppy was a late Christmas “gift” to Long Beach Animal Care Services this past December. Her nose was swollen and painful, and her human couldn’t take care of her, so they sadly surrendered her. But the shelter vets knew what to do! After ruling out cancer, the cause of the swollen nose was determined to be a bug bite, so Poppy got her treatment and a spay procedure, too. She’s now a healthy 4-year-old girl who needs a real home. Poppy has some kennel stress, so she lives in the screened cattery where volunteer Janet says she enjoys the sunshine and breezes. How about making it Christmas in June for Poppy? To adopt or foster Poppy, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to speed the process, or call (562) 570-7387. Better yet, meet her in person at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). Visiting hours are Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

New Jelly Dreamscapes gallery opens May 23 at Aquarium of the Pacific

May 22, 2026 By Leave a Comment
ctenophore Photo Credit: Robin Riggs

Where can you delve into a world where gelatinous creatures glow or come in various shades of the rainbow? The Aquarium of the Pacific is celebrating the beauty, diversity, and soul-soothing qualities of hundreds of sea jellies from around the world in a new exhibit this summer. Jelly Dreamscapes will open on May 23, 2026, and continue through April 30, 2027. Guests will be able to witness one of the most diverse collections of sea jellies in the United States and learn about how Aquarium staff provides state-of-the-art animal care for these remarkable gelatinous creatures.

Visitors will be able to drift through the newly reimagined Pacific Visions gallery to get up-close with sea jellies amidst meditative lighting and dream-like soundscapes. Guests of all ages will be able to learn more about colorful sea jellies, sea nettles with free-flowing tentacles, and ctenophores that glow underwater, plus the opportunity to touch moon jellies at the Aquarium’s outdoor touch lab on Harbor Terrace.

Sea jellies seen at the Aquarium represent those found in coastal habitats and in the deep sea in geographic regions that include North America, Japan, Fiji, and beyond. In addition, guests can discover the diversity of sea jellies in a new film that will play throughout the day in the Aquarium’s Great Hall. As guests explore Jelly Dreamscapes, they can learn how Aquarium staff have successfully cultured numerous sea jelly species.

These ethereal creatures have existed for more than 500 million years and have adapted to every ocean environment on Earth. Sea jellies are not fish, but invertebrates – animals without backbones. They are composed of protein, mineral salts, and ninety-five percent water. While they have no heart, brain, or gills, they have an umbrella-like body with a network of sensory nerve cells, tentacles, and oral arms. Depending on the species, a sea jelly may have up to 1,200 tentacles.

Due to the groundbreaking work of its animal care staff, the Aquarium is able to propagate and raise over forty species of sea jellies in spaces specially designed for each stage of their life cycle. Staff members culture or grow the nutritious food that sea jellies need to thrive, tailoring each species’ diet to mirror what they eat in the wild, and feeding them three to four times a day. These efforts are all part of the Aquarium’s commitment to sustainable aquaculture, or the cultivation of aquatic species, and providing state-of-the-art care to all of its animals.

“Our animal care staff monitors habitat lighting, water temperature, salinity, pH, and more to ensure that these delicate creatures are appropriately cared for,” said Nate Jaros, vice president of animal care, fish and invertebrates. “They work hard behind the scenes to meet each species’ specific needs.”  

Some sea jellies are also an indicator species whose presence can inform on if ocean water is healthy or balanced. The nerves in their external layer form a nerve net, which can detect changes in water chemistry. Sea jellies are also eaten by many kinds of fish and sea turtles, making them important for a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

As an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited organization, the Aquarium of the Pacific meets and exceeds the rigorous standards of care set for its animals, including sea jellies. The Aquarium participates in AZA’s Aquatic Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group to help further knowledge about these gelatinous creatures and other invertebrates.

Sea nettle Photo Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Featured Events

Theodore, May 22 Pet of the Week

May 22, 2026 By Leave a Comment

Have we seen Theodore before? As one of the several versions of Pete the Pup on the Our Gang series? Nah, he’s way too young, but if they did another revival, Theodore would have saved the studio some money—that circle around his eye is natural and not enhanced with a makeup brush! Besides, Theodore has his own star quality. Volunteers find him easy to walk—he comes out of the kennel “like a gentleman,” as volunteer Gusti said, and follows the walker’s guidance well. Theodore takes treats gently and also loves a good chill-out. Volunteer Stefanie often sees him lounging on his back in his kennel or playing with his empty food bowls “like a giant puppy.” In a forever home, Theodore is certain to steal every scene, just like Pete the Pup did! Adopt or foster Theodore 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#A753409.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

Mia, May 15 Pet of the Week  

May 13, 2026 By Leave a Comment

Mia is enjoying a yogurt cone to mark her official tenure as a Long-Stay Legend. We say “mark” instead of “celebrate” because Long-Stay Legends are the dogs who have been at Long Beach Animal Care Services for more than a year, and Mia is one of them. That’s no cause for joy, so the volunteers decided to add a little delight to her day. (Mia finished that cone in no time flat!) Mia is a 4-year-old husky mix with eyes like blue diamonds. Like most huskies, she loves to move, explore, and keep busy. She’s happiest when she’s around her favorite shelter people. Mia thrives with gentle guidance and would do well with someone who can help channel her energy with a balance of structure, adventure and snuggles when she winds down. Mia also requires some additional care — she recently began to have seizures, but they’ve been successfully controlled with meds. She’ll likely always need medication, but she’ll otherwise lead a long, happy life with someone who’ll just look at that as part of Mia’s normal day. Long Beach Animal Care Services is over capacity with dogs, so speed the process to adopt or foster Mia 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#A740567.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

New rescued sea otter pup Sunny & Rey the sea otter debut at Aquarium of the Pacific

May 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment
Photo Credit: Robin Riggs / Pictured: Rey holds pup Sunny

An orphaned sea otter pup and an adult female sea otter have bonded and can now be seen by the public at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The two new sea otters—Rey and pup Sunny—are making their debut in their new home at the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Habitat.

Rey is approximately two and a half years old and is from an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited organization. The pup was found without her mother in Asilomar State Beach (in Monterey County), California at approximately two and a half weeks old.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium provided initial care to stabilize the pup before she was deemed nonreleasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sunny was then transferred to the Aquarium of the Pacific to begin socializing with Rey, who arrived at the Aquarium before her in March 2026. “Our hope is that once they reach the age of maturity, both otters will become surrogate mothers, so that more orphaned pups have the chance to return to the ocean,” said Megan Smylie, Aquarium of the Pacific sea otter program manager.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is part of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Surrogacy program, where the Aquarium’s female sea otters serve as surrogate mothers to teach rescued sea otter pups the skills need to survive in the ocean. Once pups learn the skills needed to survive in the wild, they return to Monterey Bay Aquarium for potential release. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s surrogacy pools accommodate on average four rescued sea otter pups each year. The Aquarium of the Pacific became a partner of the sea otter surrogacy program in 2020, constructed the surrogacy space, and received their first releasable sea otter pup in 2024.

The newest sea otter pup, Sunny, was named by generous donors in support of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s sea otter conservation work. The Aquarium of the Pacific invites the public to help increase the chances of survival for orphaned sea otters and recover ecosystems off the coast of California. To make a gift, please visit pacific.to/saveseaotters or call (562) 951-1701.

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) can be found along the coast of California, just south of San Francisco to Santa Barbara County in central California.  “Every sea otter back in the ocean can make a difference. It is our hope that the rescued sea otters who go through surrogacy here will play a role in continuing to expand that population,” Smylie said. Sea otters are a keystone species in their kelp forest habitat, eating sea urchins who prey on the kelp itself to help keep the forest healthy and thriving for all the animals that call it home.

Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.

Filed Under: Featured Content, SoCal City Kids News

Paisley, May 1 Pet of the Week  

May 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment
AWWWWWWW!

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.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

Ruby, April 24 Pet of the Week  

April 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Featured Content, Pet Corner

Aquarium mourns the loss of Ghost, the giant Pacific octopus

March 29, 2026 By Leave a Comment
Ghost, a giant Pacific octopus, in its habitat at Aquarium of the Pacific on June 6, 2025. Photo Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific

The Aquarium is saddened by the loss of Ghost, the giant Pacific octopus who was beloved by staff, guests, and those who learned about her online. Ghost died on March 24 after entering senescence, the natural end-of-life process after laying eggs. The Aquarium announced Ghost’s senescence online in September 2025. Ghost was resting behind the scenes while animal care and veterinary staff provided her with extra support and care during her senescence.

Ghost arrived at the Aquarium in May 2024, weighing about three pounds at the time. She had grown to over fifty pounds and was estimated to have been between two and four years old at the time of her passing. “We are going to miss her. Ghost left a big impression on us and on so many people, even those beyond our Aquarium,” said Nate Jaros, Aquarium of the Pacific vice president of animal care. “She was spirited and very charismatic and loved to interact with our animal care staff. She was very engaged with the mazes and puzzles our staff created just for her. Ghost had a preference for interacting with her aquarist caregiver, sometimes preferring these interactions over eating. She was especially inquisitive when our staff members would dive in the habitat for maintenance.”

Though senescence is part of the natural life cycle of a female octopus, Ghost’s senescence was a sad time for Aquarium staff, especially for those who formed a bond with her as they cared for her each day. The care has included hand preparing restaurant quality seafood, curating enrichment activities with her in mind, creating thoughtfully designed habitats, state-of-the-art veterinary care, and more. Ghost was a wonderful octopus and made an eight-armed impression on all our hearts. We are grateful for the outpouring of support and care for Ghost. “We hope part of her legacy is raising awareness about octopuses and inspiring people to care for and protect the ocean,” said Jaros.

Giant Pacific octopuses typically live for about two to five years. They tend to spend the majority of their lives alone. Males die within months after mating. After laying tens of thousands of eggs, female giant Pacific octopuses enter senescence. This natural process is the same whether or not the eggs are fertile and cannot be stopped or prevented by relocating the eggs. The giant Pacific octopus ranges throughout the Pacific, from the coasts of Southern California to Japan. Like other species of octopuses, they have special pigment cells called chromatophores in their skin that allow them to change colors and camouflage. With their pigment cells, they can mimic surrounding colors and textures.

Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.

Filed Under: Featured Content, SoCal City Kids News
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