Southern California animal lovers’ calendar: Weekend of Aug. 7-8 and beyond

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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, 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.

Saturday, Aug. 7, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts a mobile pet-adoption event at the West Hollywood Petco location, 508 N. Doheny Dr., from 1 to 5 p.m. See photos of adoptable pets at LAAnimalServices.com.

Saturday, Aug. 7, the Voice for the Animals Foundation presents a night of entertainment from comedians Lily Tomlin, Elayne Boosler, Bruce Vilanch, Rick Overton and Orny Adams, as a fundraiser for the campaign to remove Billy, the L.A. Zoo’s lone Asian elephant, from the zoo and ‘retire’ him to animal sanctuary P.A.W.S. The event, to be held at a Beverly Hills mansion, begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. Tax-deductible tickets range in price from $100 to $200 and can be purchased through Voice for the Animals’ website.

Sunday, Aug. 8, local animal charity Bound Angels hosts ‘The Dog Days of Summer,’ a fundraising event, at Charlie’s Malibu from 6-8:30 p.m. Guests will sample from Charlie’s new vegetarian menu and enjoy Bound Angels’ signature martinis. Tickets can be purchased at the door on a first-come-first-served basis for $50. More information at BoundAngels.org.

Upcoming:

Saturday, Aug. 14, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts mobile pet-adoption events at Fred Hesse Jr. Memorial Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rancho Palos Verdes, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and at the Canoga Park PetSmart location, 21311 Victory Blvd., from noon to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 15, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts mobile pet-adoption events at the Torrance PetSmart location, 3855-59 Sepulveda Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; at Moorpark Park, 12061 Moorpark Ave. in Studio City, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and at West Hollywood pet store Healthy Spot, 8525 Santa Monica Blvd., from 1 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 21, spcaLA invites potential ‘foster parents’ to learn about its fostering program from 10 a.m. to noon at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. ‘Foster parents’ are needed to care for puppies and kittens that are too young to be adopted, as well as older dogs and cats with special needs. More information at spcaLA.com. (The L.A. Department of Animal Services offers a similar program for underage puppies and kittens; more information on that program is available at the department’s website.)

Saturday, Aug. 21, animal-loving baseball fans are invited to spcaLA’s ‘Bark in the Park at Dodger Stadium’ event beginning at 5:10 p.m. Human guests and their dogs will sit in a special section of the stadium and have the chance to participate in contests and a ‘pup rally,’ watch Tillman the skateboarding bulldog in action and cheer on their team in a Dodgers-Cincinnati Reds matchup. Tickets are $25; a signed release waiver and current vaccination record for canine attendees are required. For more information, to download a printable release form or to purchase tickets, visit spcaLA.com.

Sunday, Aug. 22, the Orange County Animal Rescue Coalition hosts a wine-tasting event at Hi-Time Wine Cellars, 250 Ogle St. in Costa Mesa, from 1 to 6 p.m. The event benefits OC-ARC’s Purrs Fund, which pays for veterinary care for severely injured cats rescued by the organization, and includes a silent auction and raffle. Cost is $25 and can be paid online in advance of the event or at the door.

Wednesday, Sept. 8, Much Love Animal Rescue hosts a bingo night at West Hollywood landmark Hamburger Mary’s, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd., beginning at 9 p.m. Proceeds benefit the group’s work on behalf of needy animals in Southern California.

Saturday, Sept. 18, Last Chance for Animals invites Southern California pet lovers to its Puppy Mill Awareness Festival at Hancock Park, 5801 Wilshire Blvd. (near the La Brea Tar Pits), from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature educational speakers, animal advocacy and animal welfare information booths, adoptable pets from area rescue organizations and shelters, live entertainment, pet-themed vendors and activities for children.

Sunday, Sept. 19, Best Friends Animal Society hosts ‘Strut Your Mutt,’ a walk to raise funds for Best Friends and local animal charities and rescue groups, beginning at the Santa Monica Pier. The event includes pet-friendly vendors, a doggie massage booth, a canine cafe, training demonstrations, a pet psychic, games, contests, an after party and more. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m., with the walk beginning at 8:30. More information at Best Friends’ website.

Sunday, Sept. 19, athletic dogs will take to their surfboards for the second annual Surf City Surf Dog event in Huntington Beach. For the competition, dogs will be placed in a division determined by their size and experience level, then will compete in heats to advance to a final. The event also includes a costume contest and a ‘Woofin’ Walk,’ where dogs and their owners can complete a 1- or 2-mile course, with proceeds benefiting one of Surf City Surf Dog’s animal-related charity partners. For more information or to register, visit SurfCitySurfDog.com.

Ongoing:

Through the month of August, adopt a cat or kitten from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and the organization will waive its normal adoption fee. According to the shelter, it is facing an influx of kittens and needs to find homes for its felines as quickly as possible. Adopters will still be responsible for the cost of spay/neuter surgery for adopted cats and kittens, an estimated charge of $30 to $40. For more information, shelter hours of operation or to see photos of adoptable animals, visit its website.

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 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 last Wednesday through October, 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. 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.

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.

-- Lindsay Barnett

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Top photo: Rescue dog Bandit shows his love for the camera. There are numerous events at which potential adopters can meet needy pets over the coming weeks. Credit: Jen / Your Scene