RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP
About animal adoption:
Each year, millions of dogs, cats, and other companions die in animal shelters
due to lack of homes. Adopting an animal from a shelter or adoption group,
rather than buying an animal from a breeder or pet store, is one simple way
to reduce the need for euthanasia of healthy dogs, cats, and other animals.
Friends of Culver City Animals (FCCA) is not an adoption or placement agency.
However, FCCA does maintain an extensive list of rescue, adoption and animal
welfare organizations. If you are interested in making a lifetime commitment
to an animal, or volunteering with an adoption organization, the following
resources may be helpful to you.
Please note that each shelter or adoption/rescue group has their own policies
regarding fees and other requirements for adoption.
Los Angeles County Animal Control:
The shelter closest to Culver City is in Carson: 216 W. Victoria St. between
Main & Broadway, 2 blocks south of the 91 Freeway, east of the 110 Freeway.
Please note: Victoria St. is the same as 190th St. (310) 523-9566. Hours: Monday
to Thursday 12 PM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Sundays & holidays. Website
Los Angeles City Animal Services:
The City of Los Angeles currently has 6 shelters. Two shelters are close to
Culver City:
West Los Angeles, located at 11950 Missouri Avenue, Los
Angeles, CA 90025, (888) 452-7381, ext. 144;
South Los Aageles, located
at 3612 Eleventh
Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018, (888) 452-7381, ext. 142. Website
SpcaLA Shelters: (Society for the Protection
of Cruelty to Animals)
P.D. Pitchford Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street, Long Beach,
CA 90815, (562) 570-SPCA; and South Bay Shelter, 12910 Yukon Avenue,
Hawthorne, CA 90250,
(310) 676-1149. Website
Seal Beach Animal Care Center:
1700 Adolfo Lopez Dr., Seal Beach, CA, (562) 430-4993. Website
PetSave Foundation:
Focuses on the adoption and care of domestic rabbits. Contact them
by calling (310) 539-5679. Website
Petfinders:
This website features adoptable pets from animal welfare organizations across
the country. You can search through more than 100,000 adoptable pets, locate
shelters and rescue groups currently caring for adoptable pets, browse their
resource library, and much more. Website
Rescuers:
On-line directory of pet adoption resources. Includes links to shelters, and
local animal adoption groups. Website
Avian Welfare Coalition:
Representatives from bird adoption, rescue and sanctuary groups, humane societies,
animal advocacy organizations, published research biologists, animal behaviorists,
shelter and research veterinarians, and attorneys and other animal law specialists
dedicated to the ethical treatment and protection of birds living in captivity
and in their natural habitats. Website
The Pet Press:
Pick up a free issue of The Pet Press from pet stores and vet clinics to find
lists of shelters, rescue groups, adoption events and answers to your animal-related
questions. Website
Feral Cat Caretakers Coalition:
For information on TNR (trap-neuter-rescue) and issues involving feral cats
and kittens, call (310) 820-4122 or email feralcatcenter@aol.com or
visit their website.
California Wildlife Center:
For injured or orphaned wildlife, call the California Wildlife Center’s
Hospital Line at (818) 222-2658 or visit their website.
Heads2Tails Foundation:
Holds regular Saturday adoption events at Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies
located at 5299 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, CA. For information call
(310) 390-5338.
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Spay/Neuter
Spaying and neutering are surgical procedures performed by veterinarians to
prevent animals from being able to reproduce. Females are spayed, and males
are neutered (sometimes the word "neuter" is also used to refer to
an animal of unknown gender, or to a group of animals of mixed gender). Spaying
and neutering help reduce pet overpopulation and the use of euthanasia on healthy
animals.
Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Pets:
• Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
• Can eliminate or reduce certain health problems that can be expensive
or difficult to treat.
• Eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer, and greatly
reduces the risk of breast cancer in females and testicular and prostate cancer
in males.
• Makes pets better, more affectionate companions and less likely to stray,
run away, roam, spray and mark territory.
• Eliminates the heat cycle in females and the accompanying problems, such
as howling or crying.
• Reduces the incidence of temperament and behavioral problems.
• Makes pets less likely to bite.
• Reduces the number of unwanted pets that end up in shelters.
• Potentially saves the pet owner money and reduces the number of homeless
and suffering animals. Contact the
Humane Society for
more information. (January 2007)
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Lost and Found
Your To Do list before you lose your pet:
1. Affix collars and readable ID tags: It ís the
law for dogs, and it is highly recommended even on indoor-only cats
(check out 'break-away' or 'safety' collars for cats if you are concerned
about it being caught on something). The tag should have your name,
address, and phone number. (Better yet, include information on any
medications, and a phone number from out of the area that can be called
after an earthquake or other disaster). Unless your animal can speak
well enough to tell someone your phone number or address, your animal
should have a tag!
2. Microchipping: a microchip about the size of a grain
of rice can be inserted into companion animals, and picked up by scanners
used in shelters and veterinary clinics. The microchip has a unique
identification number; through registration in a database, you can
be notified when the chip is scanned. It is a good back up, not a substitute,
for a collar and tag. Talk to your veterinarian.
3. Photos: take photos on a regular basis to help with description and identification.
If you try to reclaim an animal at many public facilities, they require proof
of ownership (to help insure that animals are not released to the wrong people).
Having a current photo can be very helpful, and should be done in conjunction
with microchipping your pet.
4. Description: Write a detailed description of the animal
while the animal is sitting in front of you. This can be a good way
to give your companion some attention and quality time. In the event
the animal is ever missing, having a detailed description will help
you sift through calls from people who have found similar animals,
and will help you prove ownership when you find the right one. Your
black and white dog, or orange and white cat, is certainly unique -
but how can other people tell your animal from all the others? Record
features such as scars or bumps that are unique to your pet.
5. Lost poster: go through the process of making
up a 'lost' poster: Include a description of the animal, your phone
number, and a photo. Store it in your emergency kit or earthquake
preparedness kit. If you ever need it, it will save a lot of time
to have it all ready to be copied. The sooner you begin your search,
the more successful it is likely to be.
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When you have lost your companion animal
1. Culver City currently does not have an Animal
Control Officer so you must go in person to the LA County Department
of Animal Care and Control located at 216 W. Victoria Street in Carson,
telephone (310) 523-9566. Information about your lost pet cannot
be given by County staff over the phone, so you must personally visit
the shelter to look for your pet. Many, BUT NOT ALL, of the animals
at this shelter are listed on the LA County website
2. Go in person as well to the LA City shelters located at 11950 Missouri Avenue,
West Los Angeles, (888) 452-7381, ext. 144 and 3612 Eleventh Avenue, Los Angeles,
(888) 452-7381, est. 142. Take a photo of the animal, medical records to prove
current rabies vaccination, licensing (if applicable) to help establish your
right to reclaim the animal. Make sure you have a leash and/or a cat carrier
when looking for your lost pet.
When visiting a shelter:
• Tour the appropriate areas (dog kennels, or cat room)
• Ask a kennel attendant to show you the animals in other areas (observation,
new stray, hospital); be persistent, but patient, if you have to wait for a kennel
attendant to help you
• Check the listing of found animals (at Carson, this is sometimes referred
to as the 'Live/Dead Log')
• Fill out a card to list the animal as lost, and post it on the bulletin
board. This will be helpful if someone finds the animal and comes in to look
at the board.
• Return to the shelter every three days and repeat these steps. Shelter
workers do not routinely check incoming animals against the bulletin board, or
check the bulletin board against their inventory. It is up to you to visit the
shelter to see for yourself. Due to the volume of lost animals, cards are removed
from the bulletin board after a period of time. Check the board and post a new
card if needed.
• Ask at the shelter for a list of telephone numbers and addresses of other
shelters in the area. Ask the shelter for a list of telephone numbers and addresses
of volunteer groups that may be of assistance, such as rescue groups. If an animal
is unclaimed for a few days, a rescue group might adopt the animal from the shelter
and try to find a new home for it. Although some groups focus on specific breeds,
there are many that will rescue well-trained or easily adoptable animals of any
type.
3. Post flyers within a five-block radius of your home.
Culver City residents who have gone door-to-door with flyers report
that their neighbors are very sympathetic and helpful, and neighborhood
children (who often see things adults do not see, like at playgrounds)
can be especially helpful. Posting flyers can be very effective.
4. Post flyers, and inquire, at local veterinary offices
and emergency animal clinics. Sometimes Good Samaritans take injured
animals in for medical attention (for example, after a car accident)
5. Call local newspapers to place ads, and check the
'found' ads:
• Culver City Observer – (310) 398-6397
• Culver City News – (310) 437-4401
• Culver City Star – (323) 556-5720
• The LA Times offers free found ads, and charges for lost ads: (800) 234-4444
6. Change your answering machine message to include that
your pet is 'still missing'. Sometimes a person finds an animal, but
figures that posters or ads describing a similar animal are old and
outdated, and it must not be the same animal. Encourage people to leave
a message with any information that might be helpful.
Do not give up. Lost dogs and cats have been located
many months after they were lost. As soon as your animal comes home,
get a new collar and ID tag, and make up a new poster! Don't forget
to get a microchip.
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ID/Microchip
It's a common saying in animal shelters across the country: 95% of lost animals
with ID make it home, 95% of lost animals without ID don't make it home.
Can your pet talk? Unless your dog or cat can speak well enough to tell someone
your phone number or address, you should make sure your animal always wears
identification.
It's the law for dogs, and is highly recommended even on indoor-only cats.
Check out the "break-away" or "safety" collars for cats
if you are concerned about it being caught on something. The tag should have
your name, address, and phone number. Better yet, include information on any
medications, and a phone number from out of the area that can be called after
an earthquake or other disaster. This tag is your companion's ticket home.
In addition to a collar and tag, microchipping can be used for identification.
About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip can be inserted into your pet
by your veterinarian. The microchip can be detected by scanners used by Animal
Control Officers in shelters and by veterinarians. The microchip's unique
identification number and the pet owner's contact information is registered
in a database,
and you can be notified when the chip is scanned. (If your animal is micro
chipped, make sure you keep your contact information up-to-date with the registry!)
A microchip is a good back-up but not a substitute for a collar and tag. Talk
to your veterinarian for more information. For information on microchips in
birds, go to this
website.
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Pet Care
Spay or neuter your cat, rabbit, or dog, and encourage others to spay or neuter
their pets. For more information, talk to your veterinarian, or go to spay/neuter.
Make sure your animals always wear current, legible identification.
Using a leash is required for dogs in all Culver City parks. Even if your dog
is well trained, use a leash to help keep your dog safe from other dogs or
other dangers. Keep your cat indoors at all times. For more information, see this
website.
Follow all laws:
For local laws, see www.amlegal.com/library/ca/culvercity.shtml
For state laws, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html
For information on pet care from the American Veterinary Medical Association,
go to www.avma.org/careforanimals/CFAsiteindex.asp
For information on pet care from the Humane Society of the United States, visit www.hsus.org/ace/12531
For information on pet care from the ASPCA:
www.animaland.org/framesets/petcare_frameset.asp
Pet First Aid:
The Humane Society of the United States and the American Red Cross present
a book, “Pet First Aid: Cats and Dogs,” written by Bobbie Mammato,
DVM, MPH. This book prepares you to handle pet emergencies and provides health
maintenance tips.
Useful websites for pet first aid:
www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/
www.veterinarypartner.com/
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Finding a New Home
There may be many reasons why you cannot care for a pet
in your possession. Regardless of the reason, it is worth the effort
to find the animal a new, loving and safe home rather than to turn
him or her over to the pound or the local humane society where they
may be euthanized. The
Humane Society of the United States has comprehensive information
on how to find a responsible new home for a pet.
Tips for a Happier Pet
1. Make sure your pet wears an identification tag
to enable him to be returned to you if lost.
2. To prevent animal behavioral problems, make sure you enroll your new puppy
or dog in behavioral training classes, and visit www.petsforlife.org.
3. Animal behavioral problems can be health related. Make sure your pet has
a complete medical exam by a veterinarian at least once a year.
4. Prepare for disasters. Make sure you have a plan for your pet in the event
of an earthquake, fire or flood.
5. Plan for your pet’s future in case something happens to you and visit
www.hsus.org/petsinwills for more information.
6. Learn how to avoid dog bits, and how to prevent your dog from biting, by
going to www.NoDogBites.org.
7. Have a heart, be smart and make sure your pet is spayed or neutered. Courtesy
of: www.hsus.org.
8. Make sure your pet has a comfortable and safe place to rest with adequate
shelter.
9. Remember to provide adequate and clean food and water (especially in the
summer).
10. Pets need periodic examinations by a veterinarian and need regular dental
examinations on a yearly basis after the age of three; neglecting dental problems
can be serious and painful for your pet.
