Meet Binky, enjoying a cuddle from volunteer Grace, and his sister, Minky, who’s thinking about it. They’re two beautiful brown tabbies who need to make it to a forever home for the holidays. They’re only halfway out of kittenhood and have already been abandoned, twice—once in a cemetery in a laundry basket! All that your Thanksgiving weekend needs is two grateful cats in your home! Please come meet them. To adopt or foster Binky and Minky, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to speed the process, or call (562) 570-7387. Ask for ID#A707857.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

As her name suggests, Meadow is a calm, lovely gentle girl. Whether in a bucolic setting, at the beach, or just around the block, Meadow is great on a leash and loves her walks. She’s 6 years old and has been at the shelter since April, where she has to stay in a kennel until one of her volunteer buddies takes her out to walk and play. Meadow needs to relax somewhere calm and lovely, like her, say, your couch, your kitchen floor, your backyard with lots of room to roam, or even next to you in a sleeping bag, in a meadow, of course! Speed the process to adopt or foster Meadow 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# A719513.

Last week, we featured Sage the cat. Now, meet Sage the dog! Sage is a 4-year-old pit bull girl who was found and brought into the shelter in May. Sage is a real character — volunteer Mary described their former routine in the shelter as walkies around the shelter, down the driveway and one loop around the parking lot. Then, her special talent — lizard hunting! Sage would stomp on the ground to try to scare them out of the plants, which never failed to crack Mary up. Sage has since earned a spot in a foster home, but you can still meet her and maybe make the Sage decision to flavor your days with this personality-packed pittie! Speed the process to adopt or foster Sage 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#A720473.

Meet our Sage, a lovely, little 2-year-old domestic shorthair brown tabby. He loves company to entertain him with snuggles, pets and, of course, treats! Sage came to the shelter with a skin rash — here he is in his soft cone that keeps him from scratching and rubbing off the medicine. He also has an eye condition known as entropion, in which his eyelids turn inward and prevent him from opening his eyes and also cause irritation. Sage will have surgery next week so he can open those beautiful eyes to see us and the world around him clearly. To adopt or foster Sage, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to speed the process, or call (562) 570-7387. Better yet, meet him 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. Ask for ID#726656.

Watch out for Potluck! He’ll chase you down, catch you, and absolutely cover you with kisses! Potluck is a handsome boy, about a year old. He strutted into a barbershop in Long Beach one day, and no one in the nearby residential neighborhood claimed him as theirs. So, he went trick-or-treating on Halloween, looking cuter than heck, in the hope that he’d get a loving, forever home in his treat basket. Potluck is friendly with humans and likes other dogs as well. He seems to have a slight hearing impairment, which shelter staff thinks could be the result of a bungled ear cropping. Nonetheless, like any good spirit, Potluck can sense the approach of a friend. Could it be you? Speed the process to adopt or foster Potluck 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#A727370.

Check out this cute video!

Dogs need regular grooming for optimal health, especially in fall and winter. A healthy coat helps your pet keep heat in in colder months (and out in the summer). It prevents coats from getting matted, which can be uncomfortable, difficult to correct (sometimes necessitating shaving), and can mask underlying health issues. Pets also typically enjoy grooming, and it helps them to look their best.

What can you do to have a well-groomed dog this winter, and year-round?

• Brush Your Dog’s Coat –  Regardless of breed, brushing daily (or at least a few times a week) can reduce shedding, prevent matting, and preserve your dog’s haircut. Brushing removes dead fur/hair, stimulates growth, and brings natural oils to the surface. 
• Brush Their Teeth –  Reduce plaque, tartar, and bacteria. Brush your dog’s teeth 3X/week, up to twice daily, with a dog toothbrush and paste.
• Trim Nails – In colder months, dogs’ nails may wear down less and become more brittle. Nails that are too long can cause joint pain or medical issues. Trim nails to ensure they don’t touch the ground when your dog is standing still. 
• Clean Ears – At least monthly, or more often for dogs with longer ears. Wet a cotton ball with pet ear-cleaning solution and clean the outside first, gradually working towards the inner area. While it’s unsafe to use cotton swabs inside the ear canal, you can use them to gently clean inside ear folds on outer ear flaps. 
• Check Out Nose and Paws – Which can become dry, and benefit from pet balm.

Consider working with a groomer to:

·       Determine the best length and style for your dog’s coat based on breed and other details

·       Condition dry skin and look out for conditions (skin lesions, lumps) that might need veterinary review

·       Trim fur between toes

·       Get tips on how to maintain your pet’s coat and health in between appointments

About Woofie’s

Founded in 2004 and franchising since 2018, Woofie’s is the first and only franchise in the professional pet care services industry to offer combined services of pet sitting, dog walking and mobile pet spa services.  Woofie’s is further set apart by its completely customizable services and focus on customer service.  Today, there are 48 locations open and operating in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

For more information or to set an appointment, visit www.woofies.com/torrance or call 310-254-9791. Woofie’s can also be followed on Facebook and Instagram.

You’d better have a hearty supply of great, big bones and biscuits when Cadillac comes trick-or-treating! Cadillac, a 1-year-old cane corso, was found wandering the streets with another dog who’s likely his sister—a sleek, black cane corso that the shelter staff named Mercedes, of course. Intensive efforts to locate the dogs’ owners were unsuccessful, and so we’re hoping that someone out there will want to take home one or both gentle giants, which they sure are! Speed the process to adopt or foster Cadillac, Mercedes 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#A729214 for Cadillac or ID#A729213 for Mercedes.

Here’s our Quicksilver, a 4-year-old German shepherd/Lab mix who has more of a sunny, happy personality than a mercurial one! Quicksilver knows his basic commands, bounces around the play yard with his buddies, and loves hanging out on the bench with his handler. He loves walking, although he does pull on the leash if he sees a cat. Quicksilver’s all dressed up for his interview for a position in your forever home! Speed the process to adopt or foster Quicksilver 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# A721854.