Faith and begorrah, St. Patrick’s Day has passed, but we could not pass up this photo of Howie and the Long Beach Animal Care Services Leprechaun! Look at the smile on Howie’s adorable face—he looks as if he’s found that pot of gold! He hasn’t, though—yet. Although Howie has white fur, the other volunteers think he’s gold himself! He’s a spry fellow at 13 years old and is great on leash. He likes to choose his own pace as he walks with his volunteer friends. How about you being that pot of gold for Howie’s golden years? Speed the process to adopt or foster Howie 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#755788.

Here’s Penny, 2 years old, in volunteer Cheryl’s car on her merry way to a Fido Field Trip. These trips give the pups a break from kennel stress. This time, she’s going to join her pittie peeps at Long Beach’s Pitbull Appreciation Event. Penny joined a pack walk, enjoyed the park, and even painted a picture (as you may know, each of our shelter’s pets is gifted in some way). Her present foster says that Penny’s a smart, sweet girl who’s affectionate and loves to snuggle once she’s comfortable. She seems to like being a house dog and knows how to behave herself: she hasn’t chewed anything in the house, hasn’t needed a crate, and doesn’t bark unless she’s scared. The jitters are Penny’s main challenge. Before she came to the shelter, she apparently developed trust issues with her surroundings. She expresses her discomfort with a low growl — even a feather on the grass during a walk once set her off. When this happens, she slowly works up the courage to smell the offending object and then relaxes. Her foster mom thinks that Penny will be good with someone who has patience with her. She needs to be away from shelter chaos to thrive. Speed the process to adopt or foster Penny 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#A746451.

Piglet has taken over as longest-stay dog at our shelter at Long Beach. The little guy was found as a frightened puppy about a year and a half ago and was brought to the shelter to be among friends. Piglet literally grew up at the shelter. At first, he was too terrified to even walk around, but he made friends fast. He enjoyed the cuddles that volunteers offered him, and had fun in the play yard with friendly dogs. He’s also become a regular clothes horse—or is that pig? However, as one of the staff said, “Piglet finds himself as just another big gray pit waiting for someone to pick-a-piglet as their new BFF.” When he ultimately developed kennel stress. volunteers took him on overnights to teach him what a home was, and he did so well that he’s now in foster care. If you or someone you know would like to show him what a forever home is, Piglet will say, “Oinks a lot!” The shelter’s way over capacity with dogs, so speed the process to adopt or foster Piglet 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#A728690.

Long Beach Animal Care Services volunteers often select dogs to participate in Fido Field Trips. These involve taking the lucky pups out into the community to enjoy a day walking around the street on a leash, maybe go pick up a Pup Patty at In-N-Out, and best yet, spend time at the volunteer’s home so the doggie can remember what it was like not to be cooped up in a kennel! These little trips give the dog time out from the shelter and make them visible to people who might stop and say, “Oh, what a sweet, well-behaved dog! Where could I get one just like it?” Holly, seen here napping on a rug on volunteer Metzli’s sunlit patio, so enjoyed her Fido Field Trip! Metzli said that Holly couldn’t get enough sniffing at the park, and after all the activity, she conked out on the couch next to Metzli. Holly is only 3 years old and would love to make this type of day one of many in a forever home. Want to get a dog just like her—entirely her, in fact? Speed the process to adopt or foster Holly 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#A740671.