Rajah is letting the cat out of the box—er, bag—that kitten season has started up again. He and the other grownups in the room don’t want to be forgotten—they were kittens once, too, you know. Rajah is a healthy 1-year-old orange tabby with a white mask and chest on his medium-length fur. He’s shy at first but warms up awfully quick. He loves trying to sneak out of his kennel when visitors come to meet him! Adoptions are conducted by appointment only except for Sundays, when they open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., so email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or visit our shelter at 7700 E. Spring St. to meet Rajah. Ask for ID#A#671677.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

You can call her “Zela,” you can call her “Shella,” or you can call her “Alex backward.” But whatever you call Xela, she’ll be happier than a dog with a marrowbone if you simply call her to play, for dinner, for cuddles. Xela is a 2-year-old American pit bull terrier who, once she’s out of her kennel, does not want to return to it. She sees how much fun she can have with people and wishes someone would take her home and foster her, or make it permanent! Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Xela. Ask for ID#A669125.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

The Cat Adoption Center at Long Beach’s Pet Food Express is a satellite of our shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS). It’s a kitty kennel and playroom in the rear of the store where you can meet (and adopt!) cats who have transferred from LBACS. You don’t need an appointment to meet them—just trot on down to Pet Food Express! Nancy, a 2-year-old brown tabby, is a shelter alumna, shown cuddling with volunteer John, one of her best friends! As you can see, Nancy is a complete love bug. She’s a little shy at first, but she warms up real quick! Adoptions from Pet Food Express also require applications, so to adopt Nancy, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov and specify ID#A671151,or visit Pet Food Express, 4220 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, to meet her and her furry buddies!

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Minnie is no mouse when it comes to action, exercise, and all-around good-dogginess. Minnie is 8 years old and loves chasing toys, head rubs, and having her photo taken. See the big smile? Minnie, like many of us, is highly treat motivated and very smart. She responds well to training—she has a rock-solid “sit” command. She can be dog reactive, which might be from living in a shelter, so the best thing for her would be a position as the only dog of a human used to big breeds. Actually, the best thing for Minnie would be her own happiest place on Earth, so come meet her! Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Minnie. Ask for ID# A642417.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Such a handsome boy is Dexter! He’d love to be your right-paw man, so dexterous with treats, balls, stuffed Kong toys and walks is he! Dexter is only 4 years old, but he’s spent too many of his months at the shelter—he’s been there since early summer! Thanks to the shelter volunteers, he’s come a long way in socialization. He loves long walks and does so very well on a leash, and he also understands that he’s not a lap dog! You’d need a big lap. If you have a big heart to match Dexter’s, though, he’s ready to go home! Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Dexter. Ask for A627706.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Diesel is people and play powered! He loves his toys, especially the stuffies, but doesn’t get possessive over them. He also loves to walk, have a treat, “hold hands” with his human buddies, and give them his paw and smile that big smile! Diesel has been in our shelter for six months. When he entered, he had a skin infection that affected his entire system. Test showed untreated allergic dermatitis. It’s under control now, but he needs a caring foster or adopter to really heal him inside and out! He needs some leash training—as his name suggests, he’s pretty high powered, but he’s also a quick study. Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Diesel. Ask for ID#A558974.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

Smiley Miley came to the shelter as a stray and has been in the shelter since May. This 3-year-old is really, really ready to get out and live the life that a dog is supposed to live. She loves her treats, and she knows a couple of commands—“sit” especially. Miley is a strong lady and needs a human who has patience and understanding for a dog who needs it. As you can see, she’s all ready to tango with a partner at the Valentine’s Day dance. Could it be you? Adoptions are now conducted through appointment only, so call 562-570-PETS or email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov to meet Miley. Ask for ID#A656951.

(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)