Long Beach Animal Hospital’s wildlife care service on hold

Long Beach Animal Hospital has for many years been the go-to place for Long Beach Animal Care Services to send ill or wounded wildlife and for residents to rush in boxes of sick squirrels and opossums they’ve found. LBAH has gone the whole groundhog of treatment for wild animals: their wildlife page depicts a plethora of pigeons, pelicans, foxes, raccoons, hawks, owls, gulls and geese. They even mended a butterfly’s wing.

But recently, residents were concerned when the clinic posted an announcement of a pause until further notice of accepting injured and sick wild animals.

“Our wildlife program was placed on temporary hold by Fish and Wildlife a couple months ago due to the avian flu,” an email from LBAH read.

Wildlife in general is susceptible to avian flu and might pass the disease on to dairy cows, cats and humans. There have been comparatively few reported incidences of contagion, but LBAH didn’t want to risk the health of the pets they care for.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife instructed LBAH to tell anyone finding wildlife to call the department at 888-334-2258 or text them at 847411. The clinic staff also advises contacting their animal control if they find a wild animal in distress. LBACS has been transporting animals to different wildlife organizations since LBAH paused their program; the shelter’s telephone number is 562-570-7387.

If you find a wild animal in distress, LBAH’s wildlife page has a series of excellent guidelines for what to do before you contact a wildlife organization, a shelter or LBAH, when they resume their wildlife program:

• Be cautious because wild animals are very quick and powerful. They have strong instincts to protect themselves and can inflict serious injury.
• Be particularly wary of shore birds with pointed beaks and birds of prey with strong talons. They can inflict serious eye and bodily injury.
• Call your local animal control authorities to see if they can capture the animal.
• When captured, place it in a box, keep the box covered and in a warm spot, and keep children away. These animals can easily die from fright, so keep handling and observations to a minimum.
• Do not attempt to provide medical care. What seems to be such common-sense treatment for our personal pets or us humanoids does not carry over to wildlife.

[Text courtesy of Long Beach Animal Hospital]

Several local and kind-of-local wildlife organizations that can help are listed below. Read the instructions on their “found an animal page” before you contact them.

Most of the organizations are run by volunteers, so you may not get an immediate response. All of them will happily accept donations.

This list has been added to the resources page found at the end of the column:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife features a listing by county of state wildlife rehab centers. There’s even one for bats, in Manhattan Beach. (Please don’t touch an injured bat, or any bat. According to a 2024 CDC publication, bats are the animals most commonly reported to have rabies.)

International Bird Rescue, San Pedro, for marine birds.

Long Beach Animal Care Services, to report wildlife in distress.

The Marine Mammal Center, seals, sea lions, otters, whales.

South Bay Wildlife Rehab and Education, for birds.

Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, wild birds and mammals, with some exceptions. See list on link.

Long Beach Animal Hospital is located at 3816 E. Anaheim St.

YOURS DROOLY

Stray cats, which some call feral cats, are not wildlife. They’re actually domestic cats with a sideways life history. Some die after a relatively brief life, others are TNR’d and live in outdoor colonies, tended to by caretakers. Still others are social and adoptable, especially if you get them when they’re kittens.

Adoptable kitties wind up in rescues, humanely run shelters and cat cafes. Long Beach is home to not one but two of these, although they don’t serve food or drink, so they’re not de facto cafés. The Cool Cat Collective on East Fourth Street is a gallery cum boutique cum adoptable kitty recreation area, and the Feline Good Social Club on Third Street and Atlantic Avenue is a lounge where you can sit with the cats, play with the cats, and enjoy special activities such as yoga and crocheting sessions (I always wonder how yarn and cats work together) while cats walk all around and over you. And, of course, you can adopt the cats.

Today’s Yours drooly features adoptable kitties from the venerable Feline Good Social Club. To adopt these guys or any in the lounge, read these instructions and then fill out an application. Better yet, book a session at the lounge and get to know them nose to wet nose. I guarantee pleasure.

Janice, her five kittens and two adults were squished into a crate and dumped on someone’s doorstep. When they were found, Janice was at the front of the crate hissing, protecting her family as the dutiful mom she was. Once she realized that no one meant her any harm, she calmed down and allowed some pets. She opened up even more in her foster home and came to the lounge a well-mannered and easygoing girl.

Janice generally prefers to keep to herself, but because she was very close with her siblings and kids before they were adopted, she might form a similar relationship with any other cats. She tolerates her cat lounge companions but sets boundaries when she doesn’t want to be bothered. When in a social mood, Janice is sweet and loves to snuggle up at your side or in your lap.

She knows her name and will chirp in response to being spoken to, sometimes following her favorite people around and flopping over at their feet. She loves to chase down spring toys and jump out of tunnels. Janice is flexible and would do well in a variety of situations but most likely would do best in a calmer environment that matches her zen, with consistent company she can bond with. In such a home, Janice will quickly reveal what a sweetheart she is and become a most treasured companion!

Cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months old, which is why it’s urgent to get females spayed as soon as possible. Lexi, a rescued young kitten, gave birth to a single male kitten, Brody, when she was only 10 months old. Lexi has always shown deep love for her little boy, and they share a strong bond. They need a forever home together. Lexi is sweet and shy with a gentle meow, while Brody, initially cautious, is becoming more sociable. They enjoy playing together and cuddling during naps.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Large-breed dog fosters needed at LBACS

This is Silverado. Silverado needs some time out of the kennels. He’s a big guy and a husky to boot, which means that he has a lot of energy and needs someone who understands the breed and can take him places. Silverado, in fact, loves walks and enjoys outings. He’s goofy, silly and friendly, and he balances it out with a calm attitude and a wish to be on his own. He’s also been in a shelter kennel a few days short of a year and really deserves a break, particularly if it’s a forever one.

So, why not try out him or another big doggie as a foster, even for a short time? Long Beach Animal Care Services’ dog kennels are again near capacity, and the shelter is in desperate need of fosters for large breed dogs, that is, weighing over 30 pounds. The usual foster requirement is to keep a dog for a minimum of 30 days, but letting one couch-surf for at least a week would be a great help. If you are interested, please contact petfoster@longbeach.gov.

Fix Long Beach, Friends of Long Beach Animals and Santa Fe Importers Deli offer a menu of male-dog neuter deals

Paws on the Hill

Paws on the Hill is a free, fun event planned for pets and their human friends and hosted by the city of Signal Hill. Enjoy pet-friendly music, low-cost vaccinations for your furry buddies, community booths, dog licensing with Long Beach Animal Care Services, and goodies and giveaways for everyone!

Paws on the Hill takes place 10 am.–1 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, at Signal Hill Park, 2175 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill. Free family event.

Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.