Halloween fun for a good cause: Costumed pets strutted their stuff, got new homes at shelter event

We were honored to help judge Long Beach's Howl'oween dog-costume contest Saturday, but while we were having a blast with L.A.'s most pampered pets, our colleague Lu Parker of KTLA News was busy helping homeless pets find new adoptive families. We had a great time -- but three guesses on which of us had a more fulfilling Halloween! Here's Lu's account of the adoption event:

A spider, a cop and a hot dog. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but what I'm about to tell is no joke. It's reality. For thousands of homeless dogs, reality means living in a cage day and night. It's a fact that keeps me awake many nights, but I'm happy to say that for one special day this past weekend things were different.

It was billed as Howl-O-Ween at the South Los Angeles animal shelter, a day to come see the beautiful dogs and cats who need a home. We wanted to spread the word: Adopt; don't buy. What it turned into was a day of many moments we will never forget.

For this one day, dozens of dogs got a chance to leave their cage and feel sunshine on their faces. They got a chance to smell the grass and to experience a little affection outside the cage. Volunteers and employees gathered to make it all possible. Local firefighters showed up to line a parade route. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa led the pet parade. We all ate candy. I was lucky enough to be able to emcee the event, and as I was talking on the microphone about each dog passing in front of me with a human attached to them, I couldn't help but smile inside.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 52: Stay tuned ...

This is Heidi. Last year, she was "discovered" in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Diane Haithman. And this is her "head shot": That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

As of last Friday, I am no longer a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times. Ergo, this is the last chapter of "The Heidi Chronicles" for L.A. Unleashed. I'd like to thank the blog for unleashing an obsessed doggie stage mother, and providing a forum for documenting the approximate first year of Heidi's attempt to take Hollywood by storm.

I'd also like to thank Heidi's fans and her entourage of one, Layla the Labrador mix, for sticking by Heidi through thick and thin. However, I visited Layla and her parents, Jim and Irene Dorsey, recently and Layla seem thrilled to enjoy a little quality time without Heidi, just this once. Recently, the patient Layla has been somewhat taxed by the many canine guests at the Dorseys, including small and frequent visitor Kiki Newberg, a Norwich terrier cute enough to get away with murder one.

But I encourage Layla, Kiki Newberg and all of your dogs to be sure to tune in for "Don't Walk on the Grass," the Nov. 1 episode of "Desperate Housewives." Heidi and I are waiting to see whether our background appearance in a restaurant scene made the cut.

And despite my own recent career change, let it be said that Heidi fully intends to continue her pursuit of Hollywood stardom.

Philadelphia Eagles give $150k in animal grants

Months after facing criticism for signing convicted dogfighter Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles are making good on a pledge to support animal welfare groups.

The team on Monday unveiled a program called TAWK, which stands for Treating Animals With Kindness. The initiative aims to reduce animal abuse, encourage spaying and neutering and end dogfighting through public education and awareness.

The Eagles awarded grants of $50,000 each to Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, the Humane Society of Berks County and the Humane Society of the United States.

The Heidi Chronicles, Chapter 51: Waiting on Wisteria Lane, Part 2

Last week, you read about our first day on the set of “Desperate Housewives,” cast as background actors, “Neighbor with Dog.”  As happens frequently in the TV biz, some of the extras called that day didn’t get used – but were asked to come back the next day. We learned that, for a background actor, everything is always is subject to change.

This time, instead of getting lost on the way to Wisteria Lane, a van picked us up at the parking lot at Gate 3. I had learned from our van experience the day before that, when nervous, Heidi turns into a very large lap dog -- so this time I was careful to get into the vehicle before the dog to make sure she didn’t once again surprise some other actor with a free lap dance.

We were whisked straight to the costume and makeup-and-hair trailers.  There, we met one of our new friends from the day before –  Lauren Hicks, who had won out over the competition for the “Busty Waitress“ role and had brought along the requested assortment of fancy bras to complement her low-cut white top.

My more conservative outfit – and Heidi’s bandanna – met with approval, but I had to leave Heidi in the care of another actor while I went into the trailer for a hair makeover. I sat one chair away from series star Marcia Cross as hairdressers fluffed her long red locks, and super-glued mine into a chignon that could withstand El Niño.

Then it was back into the van – today not headed to Wisteria Lane, but to a different set, an upscale outdoor cafe.  Apparently, “Neighbor with Dog” was about to become “Restaurant Guest with Dog.”

Shelter dogs turned stars in '101 Dalmatians' musical

Rescue shelter dogs now can hope for more much more than just being placed into safe, happy homes -- they can hope to be stars.

The cast of the musical "101 Dalmatians," which our Culture Monster blog recently wrote about, includes 15 Dalmatian dogs that animal trainer Joel Slaven oversees. Most were brought from shelters to Slaven’s ranch home in Florida.

And there is nothing but star treatment for these pooches: During the tour, they are transported in a rock star-style tour bus, and rehearse just like the rest of the cast for their very own time in the spotlight -- sans any upstaging humans -- at the end of the show.

That's because this musical, which begins its national tour this month in Minneapolis, finishes with a three-minute finale of all dogs and only dogs. Composer Dennis DeYoung, a founding member of the band Styx, wrote the song-and-dance finale for the four-legged stars.

Slaven began looking for the Dalmatians in shelters and rescue groups in January.  "The toughest thing I've ever done is finding the dogs," he said.

"When [Disney's "101 Dalmatians"] movies came out, they were overbred and that made the breed, which already has some health problems, even worse. People got the dogs, couldn't afford vet bills, found the dogs untrainable, or didn’t get along with kids. Shelters, Humane Societies and rescue groups don’t want anyone to use these dogs for entertainment, and they don’t want to help someone who’s going to do this again."

Should your dog get the canine influenza vaccine?

You and your family may be thinking about getting flu shots this year. But you may also want to consider getting one for your dog -- for canine flu.

Canine influenza, or H3N8, is a relatively new and highly contagious virus that can resemble kennel cough, with symptoms that include cough, fever, runny nose, loss of appetite and low energy. Dogs typically recover from canine influenza within two to three weeks and are contagious for seven to 10 days. 

Most dogs get a mild form of the illness, but some develop pneumonia and a small number have died from complications. 

This summer, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health released a canine influenza vaccine that may reduce the severity and length of infection. The vaccine consists of two shots, given two to four weeks apart. The company has a conditional license for the vaccine, which met safety standards.

The vaccine is not recommended for every dog. Most vulnerable to the virus are dogs housed in shelters, kennels and day-care facilities. Those that have contact with other dogs at dog parks and shows also could be exposed to it.

New ad campaign aims to dispel myths about shelter pets

Sure, some people say that Super Bowl ads are the best commercials out there (though PETA might disagree).  But for our money, a new advertising campaign called the Shelter Pet Project gives those high-profile, often-high-concept commercials a run for their money.

The ads -- which were created through a partnership between the Humane Society of the United States, Maddie's Fund and the nonprofit Ad Council -- are designed to dispel common myths about animals in shelters, and Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pacelle describes them as part of the largest advertising campaign ever launched by the animal protection movement.  "There is a nagging perception on the part of some Americans that there is something wrong or defective with animals in shelters," Pacelle wrote on his blog. "But nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the animals in shelters would make great pets, and they are often well socialized, vaccinated, sterilized, microchipped, and primed for a wonderful new home."

It's easy to say that shelter pets aren't defective at all, but the new ads make the point with humor -- and they're all the better for it.  In one (above), an innocent-looking terrier mix plays against type by calling his owner a "total loser" after being abandoned -- and then makes a mess of the man's dropped wallet.  In the other (which aired for the first time on Animal Planet last week -- if you missed it, you can see it after the jump), a Boston terrier owned by a finance wizard accused of fraud laments that he's about to end up in a shelter because "I like tennis balls; he likes insider trading" before confessing to having once stolen a cheeseburger.

Houston man forfeits more than 1,000 rescued animals, moves out of house

A man who owned more than 1,000 recently seized birds, gerbils and other animals has agreed to forfeit all but two of them to the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Thirty-four-year-old Joselito Rivera Boado also agreed Wednesday to vacate his northwest Houston house in 30 days and forfeit his house to the county. That's in order to help satisfy $213,458 in medical and boarding costs for the animals that were seized by animal rescue personnel a week ago.

Two events to help L.A. pets on Sunday, Sept. 27

This Sunday, Sept. 27, is a big day for animal lovers looking to make a difference in the lives of needy Southern California pets.  Two area rescue organizations, the Pasadena Humane Society and Dawg Squad Pet Rescue, both hold their major fundraising events of the year (and if you're really ambitious, you could even make them both).

First up is the Pasadena Humane Society's 11th annual Wiggle Waggle Walk and Family Fun Fair, which benefits the homeless pets cared for by the private, nonprofit animal care agency.  (The organization recently did yeoman's duty, suspending its normal shelter operations to become a 24-hour emergency center for pets and wildlife displaced by the Station wildfire.  At the height of the fire, more than 370 extra animals were being cared for by shelter staff -- and all that cost money, adding an additional level of importance to Sunday's fundraiser.)   Organizers hope to raise more than $300,000 during the event, which runs from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Funds will go toward housing, feeding and providing veterinary care for the nearly 12,000 animals taken in by the humane society every year.

The Wiggle Waggle Walk runs something like a cancer walk, with walkers and their dogs gathering pledges in exchange for walking either a short (just under a mile) or long (approximately 3.2 miles) course at Pasadena's Rose Bowl.  Organizers request that canine participants are well-socialized and kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet.  Registration for the Wiggle Waggle Walk begins at 8 a.m., with the walk starting at 9. 

Animal control officials hope to reunite kidnap victim Jaycee Lee Dugard with her 12 pets

After kidnap victim Jaycee Lee Dugard was found living with her alleged captors in Antioch, Calif., she was reunited with her family. But she left 12 pets behind in Antioch.

Now, the Contra Costa Times reports, the animals -- five cats, two dogs (a Labrador retriever mix and a Rottweiler mix), three cockatiels, a pigeon and a mouse -- are being held at the Contra Costa County Animal Services shelter in Martinez, pending a reunion with Dugard and the two daughters authorities say were fathered by one of her kidnappers, Phillip Garrido.

The animals have been held at the Martinez shelter since authorities found them while searching the Garridos' property near Antioch on Aug. 27.  From the Contra Costa Times:

"We've had them pretty much since the day of the search," [Lt. Nancy Anderson of the Contra Costa County animal services department] said. "They were ... well taken care of."

Anderson said a person she described as a "liaison" has contacted her office and indicated that Dugard and her daughters have shown interest in reclaiming their pets. She wouldn't say whom the liaison was representing.

The animals reportedly are all in good health, and the animal services department plans to retain them at the shelter until they can either be reunited with Dugard and her children or be relinquished to a foster caregiver designated by the unnamed liaison.  There are no plans to offer them for adoption to the general public, and Anderson said the department hopes to return as many as possible to Dugard's care.

-- Tony Pierce and Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Jaycee Lee Dugard lived in the back yard of the Antioch, Calif.,  home of Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy, who have been arrested in the kidnapping case.  Credit: Monica M. Davey / European Pressphoto Agency