A month of Halloween for your pets!
And a few Long Beach events right out of the treat bag.
Some consider Halloween as the gateway to the holiday season, and others strongly feel that it stands by itself as a monthlong celebration. Long Beach takes Halloween seriously indeed, to which a month full of zombie walks, haunted vintage shops, trick or treat in the business districts, and 12-foot skeletons in front yards will attest.
It’s up to the old tricks and treats for cats, dogs and bunnies, too. In the spirit, so to speak, of the season, here’s Long Beach’s bagful of goodies with the furballs in mind. Check the graphics for the details on the deviltry.
Not that Cool Cat Collective isn’t weird in all the best ways possible, but on Halloween, they pad their paws out beyond the veil. Buy a couple of eerie artworks installed in their Purranormal show; cuddle with an adoptable kitty who’ll ward off the terrors from Stephen King’s “Sleepwalkers,” which will screen midmonth; and create for a spell in the crafts corner. Oh yes — adopt a cat from TippedEars Rescue Foundation — they make great familiars, and you’ll be their spirit partner, too!
Cool Cat Collective is located at 2741 E 4th St., C, Long Beach
No pulling rabbits out of hats for Halloween at this event, but there’s sure to be turbans and other fancy toppers on the elegant storytellers! Listen to our fabulous local queens read heartwarming tales, and meet rescue cottontails looking for the ultimate treat — a loving home. People treats available for purchase. $10 per person, which supports the queens and the rescue! Register here.
Doors creak open Sunday, Oct. 11, 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. at Sunshine Rabbit Center, 4202 Atlantic Ave., Unit 201, Long Beach
The spooky season lasts a full weekend at Long Beach’s longest-crouching cat club! Come in costume to win a raffle ticket, or wear your own catskin. Rub noses with the best felines ever — you may want to sneak one of them home in your treat bag, but you’ll need to fill out an adoption application first. Check for tickets here.
Meowloween slinks in on Oct. 23–25 from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. at Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach
Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) is excited to announce its inaugural Howl-o-ween event at the shelter! Show up in costume for the costume contest and meet the shelter pets. Expect an evening of family fun with adoption specials, Bark-or-Treat, a Best Cat Room contest, costume contests, raffles and a pet memorial for Day of the Dead. The shelter asks the community members not to bring their pets to the event. If you don’t have a pet, though, this is a great place to find one.
Trick or Treat LBACS takes place Oct. 5 p.m.–7 p.m. at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach at entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking fee for shelter visitors.
Halloween in Long Beach wouldn’t be Halloween in Long Beach without the Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade, now in its 25th incarnation! The festival includes the whole world and their dog in costumes that run the gamut from adorable to outlandish! Sign up your masqueraded mutt (and your costumed self at no extra charge) here — entries start at $10 per dog, with special VIP and canopy rates. (Please, no culturally insensitive costumes: read the details here.) No dog, or just want to watch them go by? That’s free, or you can rent a chair for $5. Vendors will be there with their wares, and food will be available for sale. Woof out the season with this great event!
Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade takes place Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween!), 12:30 p.m. to about 4 p.m. at Marina Vista Park, 5355 E. Eliot St., Long Beach (near the tennis courts). Parade starts at 2:30 p.m.
YOURS DROOLY
As Halloween month slinks on by, Yours drooly will feature pets from one of the shelters or rescues that are hosting Halloween events. This week, meet three of the happy loungers at Feline Good Social Club (FGSC). They all learn how to be social in the cat lounge, making them a bunch of the best-adjusted adoptables anywhere. Just take one home and add love.
You can meet all the beasties on Meowloween or at any FGSC event. Adoption information is available here.
Cherry is a gorgeous girl who was taken under the wing of Mama Honey, one of FGSC’s sweet foster cats. Cherry tends to do her own thing and has a dignified, regal personality. But once you show her love, she is the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet. She loves petting and attention, and she has a lovely, calming presence. Cherry is waiting for someone to notice her and give her the love she deserves!
Chuck is a lounge staple, along with his sister Bonnie. He’s a quirky boy with an adorably unique personality. Highly food motivated and slightly silly, Chuck can brighten anyone’s day. He’s pretty calm and slightly reserved but loves to lounge with folks. He gets along with other kitties and people alike. He would be a good companion kitty or an only cat.
Whitey was a beat-up street tomcat who showed up at one of Long Beach Felines Rescue’s foster homes in Anaheim back in 2025, looking like he’d been through it all. He wasn’t ready to be rescued the first time around. After disappearing for a few months, he came back one day like he had finally made his decision: no fight, no running, just a calm little surrender. His rescuer was able to gently scoop him up with a towel and place him into an empty catio.
After a yearlong mission, Whitey was finally safe. Once he was inside, this street king was given the care he deserved. He was fully vetted, receiving his medical care, vaccines, testing, neuter and everything needed to start his next chapter. During his vet check, he tested positive for FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), which is common for street cats and is not contagious to humans or other species. FIV mainly spreads through deep bite wounds. Sharing food, grooming and kisses are safe, and FIV+ cats can live happy, healthy lives with proper care. Whitey’s story is a reminder that every street king and queen deserve patience, compassion and another chance. Sometimes, the hardest cats to catch are just waiting until they’re ready!
TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS
Pit Bull Appreciation Day 2026
Thanks to folks like the founders of the Blockhead Brigade, more and more people are finding out how great pit bulls are and are getting educated about bully breeds. Every year, Blockhead Brigade holds a much-deserved Pit Bull Appreciation Day, and lovers and roommates of these goofy guys and girls convene to enjoy pack walks, take advantage of community resources, and exchange ideas. The event is a no-contact community dog event featuring a scavenger hunt, training demos, a photo contest, a beautiful Day of the Dead Pet Memorial Altar, and adoptable doggies. All breeds, mixes and sizes are welcome!
For safety precautions, the organizers require a 10-foot minimum of space between dogs, 6-foot or shorter leashes (no retractables), and no dog introductions. Free event, but your donation helps support Blockhead Brigade’s community-assistance programs, which provides free behavior, housing and medical support. Register your buddy here, and visit the event page for a full description of the day and a list of sponsors.
Pit Bull Appreciation Day place Saturday, Oct. 10, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at Marina Vista Park, E. Colorado Street at Terraine Avenue, Long Beach
Two local rescues present two special adoption events for October
Cat lovers may say that there’s no such thing as too many kittens, but when you have an increasingly longer kitten season thanks to our warming climate, too many kittens are indeed seeing the light of day. Thankfully, nonprofits like Paws in the Sand and Helen Sanders CatPAWS take in as many of the little guys as they can and guarantee them happy times as long as they live. You, the adopters, make it happily ever after. Drop by these events and find your best buddy. For more rescues, hit the link at the end of the article.
Frost Fund’s Annual Fall Festival Fundraiser
Only a few tickets left for this neat event! Pull on your Western boots, button up your flannels, gallop across the county line, and celebrate autumn with Frost Fund at Chapman Crafted Beer! Enjoy an evening of yummy food, line dancing, local brews, raffle prizes, autumn-themed games and local vendors. Your doggy can dress up, too, and enter the costume contest, and children are more than welcome. Strollers are fine, too, but watch out for paws and wagging tails.
Through social and news media, Frost Fund finds placement in local and out-of-state rescues, sanctuaries and forever homes for dogs and cats in dire need of rescue. Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) pets have been beneficiaries of their volunteer efforts. Like many small nonprofits, Frost Fund is financed through donations and fundraisers like this one, so purchase tickets here. Early bird tickets are on sale until Aug. 23. If you’re currently a student, use code YOUTH at checkout for a discount, and bring your student ID at the event.
The Fall Festival Fundraiser takes place Oct. 24, 4 p.m.–8 p.m. at Chapman Crafted Beer, 123 N. Cypress St., Orange. Ticket prices vary.
Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, pet food, veterinary assistance, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.
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