by Noella Noelophile®
In Long Beach on Saturday, we saw the future change.
Saying that we saw someone save a life, may be a little overly dramatic. But at the very least, from the way things had been that morning, Christmas 2018 vastly improved for a shelter kitten at Long Beach Animal Care Services.
That’s because, as just one of the end results of Haute Dogs’ “Operation Santa Paws”, this cute kitty wound up getting adopted.
Volunteers met at Long Beach Animal Care Services at 11:30 on Saturday morning for “Operation Santa Paws”, a special Christmastime event hosted by Justin Rudd’s nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team.
Since December first, locations (and individual volunteers) throughout Long Beach and Orange County had been collecting gifts for shelter animals. Today, the volunteers, led by community activist/organizer and Long Beach “Chief Inspiration Officer” Justin Rudd, would deliver pet food, toys, treats and various supplies to four animal shelters.
2018 marks either the eighteenth or nineteenth “Operation Santa Paws” event in Long Beach, Justin said. “I’m not sure,” he commented.
(Given that his Community Action Team puts on approximately sixty community events a year–including beach cleanups, the Fourth of July Kids’ Bike Parade, February’s Walk in Red High Heels and the Haute Dogs Howl’oween Dog Parade, his losing track is understandable! Haute Dogs’ webpage says Justin established Operation Santa Paws in 2001.)
And since the start of “Operation Santa Paws”, Justin told the assembled volunteers, the program has grown. Currently, more than thirty states participate in the pre-Christmas program.
“We have a lot of dogs right now, a lot of cats right now, and we’ve had a lot of adoptions,” a staffer said before the group headed into the shelter.
“So we still have a lot of animals waiting to go home, …we want to make them as happy and comfortable as possible. So all this stuff is great.”
Shelter staffers gave the group some quick instructions for interacting with the shelter pets.
“If there’s more than one dog in a kennel, please offer them more than one (toy), so they don’t fight over one item. And (don’t stick your fingers in the kennel when giving a dog a treat). Sometimes they don’t know where the treats end and your finger begins.”
The group laughed, snapped photos and picked up treats and toys before heading inside.
We visit Long Beach ACS every year, and this particular part of “Operation Santa Paws” has a particular poignancy. While we saw staffers’ best efforts at getting pets forever homes, this particular shelter is not a no-kill. Both Justin and the shelter staff members had mentioned, prior to our coming inside, that adoptions often result from the sharing of pictures of the pets up for adoption.
With that thought in mind…
We first fell in love with this furry fellow in the canine area.
Our cats (also from Long Beach ACS) would take a dim view of his becoming a member of our household, however. So we’ll just share his picture–he’s currently available.
So is this pretty lady.
And, have you always wanted a rabbit?
Can you accept that bunnies don’t naturally like to be cuddled as cats or dogs do? And did you know that a well-cared-for indoor rabbit can live from eight to twelve years? (That’s according to the House Rabbit Society’s website.)
If so, here are some candidates for your consideration.
Of course, cats are our first love.
“This is Bella,” a staffer told us. “He’s been here for three months.” (He really needs a forever home. Indoor cats can live for fifteen years, though we’ve been fortunate enough to have one of ours live to be almost twenty-one.)
We also fell in love with “Sandra”.
And, regarding the adoption we saw? Apparently the cute little orange-and-white kitty purred her way into the hearts of a visiting family. Volunteers broke into cheers when we heard she was being adopted!
Volunteers for today’s “Operation Santa Paws” had started the day by sorting out items to take to the various shelters, depending on their needs for supplies. After Long Beach ACS and Long Beach SPCALA, the next stop on the itinerary was Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
(Seal Beach is a no-kill. Staffers there told us that, while they’re looking for “forever homes” for their residents, pets that don’t get adopted can live out their lives in the shelter.)
This was a very vocal dog! His cage-mate may well have been thinking, “Why did I have to wind up with a noisy roommate!”
“Maya” is eleven months old. She was enjoying playing with a chew toy.
And what a great cat. “Ned Stark”‘s reputation preceded him. We stopped to admire a Russian Blue which one visitor was cuddling.
“We have another Russian Blue in that room, ‘Ned Stark’,” a staffer said. “You’ll recognize him.”
We certainly did–and if we weren’t already comfortably “catted”, he would now be on my lap. What a lover. He came right over and seemed to practically introduce himself!
We also loved this purry girl, who greeted us with a little trill. Unfortunately, she isn’t available, due to health issues…
…but here are several kitties who are up for adoption.
The group would continue on to their fourth location, in Tustin, but we had to head for home. What a wonderful day, though, and a loving Christmas tradition, courtesy of Justin Rudd and his nonprofit “Community Action Team”.
And as Long Beach Animal Care Services and Long Beach SPCALA mentioned as our visit began, there’s one thing every animal there really wants for Christmas.
A loving, forever home.
(Please be sure, if you’re giving an animal for Christmas, that your recipient understands the responsibility involved. Indoor cats, as mentioned before, can live ten to fifteen years or longer. Dogs can live for anywhere from ten to eighteen years, depending on breed and size, according to the AKC website.)