Adopting a Pet

By Eileen Salmas

How do you go about adopting a pet in Encino? The economy has taken a serious toll on families - and many beloved pets have been surrendered to shelters or rescue groups and are desperate for new homes.

Some begin with Petfinder.com and adoptapet.com, which provide a wonderful resource to search for adoptable dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and other animals. You can search by zip code, type of animal, age, size, sex and breed. However if you search for Encino, the organizations that come up are not based in Encino (they are mailing addresses only) and one reason for this is that people started abandoning their dogs and cats outside their stores in the middle of the night!  So here are some recommendations. The best ones have a no-kill rescue policy and many are non-profits.

Pooch Heaven (Studio City in the weekend)
Website and Phone: (866) Pal-4-Life
Recommendation: after checking their website, go meet them at the Petco store located at 12800 Ventura Blvd in Studio City every Saturday & Sunday from 12-4:00.  Over the past 8 years they have adopted the majority of their dogs to Encino residents. Here is their adoption process:
1) Visit our adoption location or event
2) Complete an application.
3) Have the application approved.
4) Complete a home check prior to placement.
5) Sign an adoption contract.
6) Pay an adoption donation fee of $250.00 All dogs are up to date on all vaccines DHPP, Rabies, they have a microchip and are spayed or neutered.

Other organizations have similar adoption processes. Here are two others:

All the Same, Wild and Tame (in Sherman Oaks)
14554 Ventura Boulevard, between Vesper Ave and Van Nuys Blvd.
Website and Phone: 866-883-5327
Recommendation: swing by the store - they have dogs, cats, rabbits - you name it.

Precious Paws (cats)
http://www.preciouspaws.org/
Website and Phone: 818-773-3336
Recommendation: the best way to reach them is to send an e-mail at preciouspaws@preciouspaws.org. Or you can go meet them at the Glendale Petco at 231 North Glendale Ave, Glendale, CA 91206 every Saturday from 2-5:30PM except holiday weekends. They have a lot of kittens right now needing homes.

But the best bet, if you don’t mind driving a little further, is to try the LA Dept. of Animal Services’ website then click on West Valley. They are at 20655 Plummer Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311, TEL 888-452-7381. Note: although their East Valley facility at 14409 Vanowen Street, Van Nuys, CA 91405 is closer, the 91316 zip code is serviced by the Chatsworth facility. The maximum cost for a Los Angeles City resident to adopt a dog is $117. The maximum cost to adopt a cat is $76.

If your heart is set on a purebreed dog (or cat), check out breed rescue groups rather than purchasing that cute puppy at a pet store that no doubt came from a puppy mill. Just Google that breed and “rescue” to find organizations that specialize. Or - on both the Petfinder and AdoptAPet sites, you can select the breed from a drop down menu.

And don’t forget senior dogs. Every November is Adopt a Senior Pet month.

But - if you can’t commit to adoption, why not foster a pet during the holidays (and beyond)? It can just be a few days a week to keep the animal socialized and adoptable. At a time of year when the shelters are slim on staff the animals really need some extra attention. There is nothing that compares to an animal’s unconditional love and their expressions of pure devotion to warm your heart during the holidays and all year long.

Foster - especially if you’re considering adoption - think of it as leasing with the option to buy. Truly - they give us so much and ask us for so little.

Photo credit: Pooch Heaven