Southern California animal lovers’ calendar: Weekend of July 17-18 and beyond

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

If you want to adopt a needy pet, help area rescue organizations or meet like-minded animal lovers in Southern California, the coming days and weeks are full of events sure to help. We’ve got the details on a number of them; if you think we’re forgetting one, let us know by leaving a comment or tweeting the details to us @LATunleashed.

Saturday-Sunday, July 17-18, Humane Society University and the Surf City Animal Response Team host a two-day workshop on emergency animal sheltering at UC Irvine Healthcare, 101 The City Drive South in Orange. The workshop is designed to help members of the public learn the skills necessary to volunteer at emergency shelters in the event of a disaster and includes both classroom instruction and hands-on learning exercises. Cost is $95. For more information or to register, visit HumaneSocietyUniversity.org.

Saturday, July 17, the Sierra Madre Fire Department offers a first aid and CPR training class for dog and cat owners at Pasadena’s LaSalle High School, 3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event also features adoptable pets, animal-themed vendors, raffle prizes and a guest appearance by Shorty Rossi, the star of Animal Planet’s ‘Pit Boss.’ Cost is $20 at the door.

Saturday, July 17, the Angels Baseball Foundation presents ‘Forever Friends for Free’ at the Orange County Animal Care Center, 561 The City Drive in Orange, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the event, adopters can bring home a new pet from the Orange County shelter and pay only the cost of spay or neuter surgery, if applicable, and microchipping.

Saturday, July 17, spcaLA presents ‘Kittenpalooza,’ its annual cat and kitten adopt-a-thon, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. The event features a craft table for children, gift bags for adopters and booths from pet-related businesses including Natura Pet Products and L.A. Tails Magazine. More information at spcaLA.com.

Saturday, July 17, local pet store Urban Pet hosts a combination adoption, pet-food tasting, vaccination clinic and book-signing event at its 7515 Beverly Blvd. location during the Beverly Boulevard Sidewalk Sale from noon to 5 p.m. Meet adoptable Persian cats from area rescue group Helping Persian Cats, let your pet try new foods, hear author Jacque Heebner discuss her mystery novel ‘First Person Cat’ and enjoy refreshments. A vaccination clinic is offered from noon to 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 18, Santa Ana’s Church of the Foothills, 19211 Dodge Ave., hosts a guest lecture on animal rights by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as part of its ongoing lecture series beginning at 11 a.m. For more information, visit the church’s website or call (714) 544-1319.

Sunday, July 18, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts a mobile pet-adoption event at Moorpark Park, 12061 Moorpark Ave. in Studio City, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See photos of adoptable pets at LAAnimalServices.com.

Sunday, July 18, local pet store Healthy Spot hosts ‘Chihuahua Fiesta,’ a meetup for Chihuahua owners and their dogs, at its Santa Monica location, 1110 Wilshire Blvd., from 5 to 7 p.m.

Upcoming:

Tuesday, July 20-Sunday, July 25, the L.A. Department of Animal Services offers potential adopters the chance to bring home a new dog or cat for a discounted fee during its Summer Discount Adoption Days. Throughout the event, dogs and puppies will be available for a discounted rate of $78.50 and cats and kittens for a discounted rate of $50.50 at each of the department’s six shelter facilities (West L.A., South L.A., Harbor, North Central, East Valley and West Valley) and at mobile adoption events.

Friday, July 23, the L.A. Zoo hosts the second of its ‘Music in the Zoo’ summer events from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The musical theme for the evening is classic rock, and guests can wander the zoo while listening to cover bands performing the hits of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, the Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix and more. Tickets are $12.50 for adult zoo members; $7.50 for child members ages 6 to 15; $16.50 for adult non-members; and $10.50 for child non-members ages 6 to 15. Children 5 and under enter free. Guests are encouraged to RSVP in advance. For more information or to RSVP, visit LAZoo.org.

Saturday, July 24-Sunday, Aug. 1, the Capistrano Animal Rescue Effort (CARE) offers discounted adoption fees for homeless cats at the San Juan Capistrano PetSmart in honor of its 10th anniversary. During the event, cats will be available for the discounted rate of $100 (down from $135). See photos of adoptable cats at the organization’s website. [Correction: An earlier version of this post noted that CARE’s cats were housed at a San Juan Capistrano shelter facility; volunteer Miss Picky contacted us to let us know that they’re actually kept at the San Juan Capistrano PetSmart location, and we’ve corrected the error. Thanks, Miss Picky!]

Saturday, July 24, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. (GLAZA) holds an informational meeting for potential volunteer docents from 10 a.m. to noon at the zoo’s Witherbee Auditorium. Docents serve as volunteer teachers at the zoo and must complete a training program offered by the zoo each fall in conjunction with UCLA Extension. Docents must be 18 or older and able to commit to 100 hours of volunteer work per year for a minimum of two years. Applications for the program will be accepted through Aug. 14.

Wednesday, July 28, the City of San Juan Capistrano offers a low-cost vaccination and microchip clinic at City Hall, 32400 Paseo Adelanto, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Rabies vaccines for dogs and cats are $6; DHPP vaccines for dogs are $15; FVRCP vaccines for cats are $15; FeLV vaccines for cats are $17; and bordatella vaccines for dogs are $12. Microchipping is $28. Purevax rabies vaccines for cats are also available for $20. Payments must be made in cash.

Saturday, July 31, more than 60 fine artists will present their work at an art show and silent auction at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 3485 Mission Inn Ave. in Riverside, with proceeds benefiting the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The event also features a special appearance by Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson and guest DJ sets by The Crystal Method and DJ Diabetic (a/k/a artist Shepard Fairey). Cost is $20, payable at the door. V.I.P. admission is also available for $110 per person. More information at SeaShepherdArtShow.com.

Friday, Aug. 6, the L.A. Zoo hosts its final ‘Music in the Zoo’ summer event of the season from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Up-and-coming local artists are featured, including the Happy Hollows, Walking Sleep, the Lonely Wild and more. Tickets are $12.50 for adult zoo members; $7.50 for child members ages 6 to 15; $16.50 for adult non-members; and $10.50 for child non-members ages 6 to 15. Children 5 and under enter free. Guests are encouraged to RSVP in advance. For more information or to RSVP, visit LAZoo.org.

Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 7-8, the Mountains Restoration Trust offers rattlesnake avoidance training clinics for dogs, presented by trainer Tracy Jenson-Presson of High On Kennels. The clinics aim to teach dogs, whose keen sense of smell can distinguish between rattlesnakes and other types of snake, to avoid rattlesnakes when they encounter them. Training sessions are available in the morning and afternoon on both days and will be conducted at the Mountains Restoration Trust’s 23075 Mulholland Highway facility in Calabasas. Dog owners are assured that the clinics will be ‘conducted in a safe, humane, controlled environment ensuring the safety of your dog, as well as the safety of the rattlesnakes.’ Cost is $70 and registration must be made in advance. For more information or to register, visit MountainsTrust.org.

Saturday, Aug. 7, spcaLA offers a low-cost vaccination and microchip clinic for dogs and cats at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave. in Hawthorne, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The clinic will offer rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs ($5); DHPP vaccinations for dogs ($15); bordetella vaccinations for dogs ($10); FVRCP and FeLV vaccinations for cats ($15 each); and microchipping for cats and dogs ($25). More information at spcaLA.com.

Ongoing:

Through Sept. 30, the Found Animals Foundation offers a special discount on cat adoption fees at the L.A. City and County animal shelters and the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority shelter in Downey through its Summer Buddies program. Adopt two cats or kittens and Found Animals will pay the second adoption fee (that’s a two-for-one deal, kids -- and it comes at just the right time, because it’s kitten season and area shelters are filled to the brim with adoptable kitties). More information and a list of participating shelters at FoundAnimals.org.

The L.A. Department of Animal Services offers low-cost vaccination, microchipping and licensing clinics every first Thursday at its Harbor animal shelter; every second Thursday at its North Central animal shelter; every third Thursday at its South L.A. animal shelter; and every fourth Thursday at its East Valley animal shelter. All clinics begin at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. More information and pricing in PDF format at the department’s website.

Every Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., local group Kinder 4 Rescue hosts a mobile dog adoption event at Book Star, 12136 Ventura Blvd. (just west of Laurel Canyon) in Studio City. See photos of adoptable pets at the group’s Petfinder page.

Every Wednesday in July, area animal sanctuary the Gentle Barn offers a class on deep-tissue massage for animals, which can help provide comfort and pain relief. Cost is $300. More information at the Gentle Barn’s Facebook fan page.

Every first Wednesday through October, Santa Monica’s Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, 104 Santa Monica Blvd., hosts ‘Wine Woof Wednesday’ from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. During the event, guests can bring their dogs along to Pourtal and receive free dog-walking service with any purchase over $25. More information at Pourtal.com.

Every fourth Saturday, spcaLA hosts ‘PAWS to Read’ at the Redondo Beach Public Library, 303 N. Pacific Coast Highway, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Through the PAWS to Read program, children practice their reading skills by reading aloud to a decidedly nonjudgmental audience: certified therapy dogs. Participation is free; sign-up begins at 9 a.m. at the Children’s Information Desk. More information at spcaLA.com.

I Love Dogs, Inc. hosts dog-friendly ‘Mojitos and Mutts’ happy-hour gatherings at Long Beach’s pet-friendly Hotel Maya from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every last Wednesday through October. Eat, drink, be merry and meet fellow dog lovers while helping Southern California pets (each event will be geared toward helping an area animal charity). More information at ILoveDogs.com.

The Origins skin care store at The Shops in Mission Viejo has partnered with the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center to offer free mini-facials, gifts with purchase and a chance to win a $100 Origins shopping spree in exchange for items donated to the animal services center. Taking Origins up on this offer is simple: Just head into the retail store on the second level of The Shops in Mission Viejo and drop off an item on the animal services center’s wish list. Wish-list items include blankets, towels, newspapers, heating pads, unused collars, bottles for unweaned kittens, and dog and cat toys. More information at MissionViejoLife.org.

-- Lindsay Barnett

RELATED READER PHOTO GALLERIES:

Share your animal photos: Dogs | Cats | Birds | Zoo Animals | Animal Friends | Sleepy Pets

Top photo: A kitten awaits adoption. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times