Scratch This: Every goo' boi deserves treats!

How are your cooking skills? Mine are limited to burning water, but this week, I learned to create high-end cuisine for the some of the most discriminating (and deserving) long, pink tongues in the world: the shelter dogs at Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS). Much as I dislike cooking, this was absolute fun, especially because of who’d be enjoying the treats.

LBACS’ Enrichment Team provides good things that go above shelter pets’ basic needs. Volunteers spray organic calming scents into the kennels, fill the wading pools for the dogs to splash in, give them outdoor baths, create dangly toys for the cats, and make homemade treats for the dogs to enjoy.

The Enrichment Team has always made treats for dogs, but over the years, the ingredients slipped from haute cuisine to humdrum — pouring kibble into Kong toys and plugging the top with wet dog food, the same kinds they’d get for their regular meals. Then, about a year and a half ago, the creativity and enthusiasm of volunteers Jyll Burak and Norm Lee noticed that the dogs were less than enthusiastic when given the goodies, so they brought back bowser bistro.

“They don’t want the typical stuff they get on a daily basis —it’s not special to them,” Burak said. “So, we got better kibble, and we started to do yogurt, blueberries, peas. Those are fancier ones the longer-term volunteers will make.”

Burak and Lee trained longer-term volunteers as sous chefs. The volunteers enjoyed the prep and also noticed a difference in the dogs’ enjoyment of their goodies.

“When I made Kongs before, I’d just drop some kibble in and take some wet food and smear it over the opening so it would stay closed,” volunteer Gusti Lind said. “Now, they’re making a mix of really wonderful things that they stuff inside the Kong. It’s far more engaging than kibble, which is the same old, same old that they have for breakfast and dinner.”

The food is prepped in an air-conditioned room that’s only used for food. Prepared treats are frozen for later use thanks to a donated upright freezer. The packaged food is kept in a cupboard with easy access. Volunteers keep the area so clean that it would receive an A rating if the California Health Department were to visit.

“The Enrichment Team is diligent about keeping everything clean,” Burak said. “It’s really important for the safety of the dogs.”

The Enrichment Team has a basic recipe for the volunteers new to making the treats. At Burak’s instruction, I learned to whip up a scrumptious, gooey dish consisting of kibble mixed with canned dog food, which I then kneaded with rubber-gloved hands. It was a calming experience, like a therapy-putty session.

We then stuffed the gloop into Kongs and topped them with — mmm! — peanut butter. We topped them off with high-quality dog biscuits, like fancy restaurants do with roll-up cookies on cappuccinos saucers or on top of chocolate sundaes.

And could we lick the spatulas?

“Noooooo!” Burak wailed. Apparently, it’s not sanitary, but the dogs probably wouldn’t mind.

Check out the video — you might be motivated to volunteer.

To keep the pantry and tummies full, the Enrichment Team gratefully accepts donations of food and Kong toys. Examples are high-quality wet food and kibble; bone broth specifically made for dogs — the human variety is too heavy on salt; high-quality dog cookies; canned pumpkin (don’t confuse with pumpkin pie filling!), which is yummy and good for the tummy; and everyone’s favorite: peanut butter. Get the creamy, sugarless kind with no artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, which is toxic to pets and can kill them. Organic peanut butter is good, too, but it’s dripping with oil.

Donate food and red Kong Classic toys either to LBACS or K9 Kismet, a foster-based rescue that helps find homes for hard-to-place dogs. They’ve been an invaluable partner to LBACS.

To donate to LBACS, use their wish lists on Chewy and Amazon, and note that they’re for the enrichment team. You can drop off the donations in the big bins in front of Animal Admissions at LBACS — write “Enrichment Team” on the bags or boxes.

To donate through K9 Kismet, order online and send any items to the nonprofit’s delivery address, 6285 E. Spring St., #312, Long Beach, CA, 90808. Contact the organization at info@k9kismet.org or 562-438-8500 and let them know that stuff for the LBACS Enrichment Team is on the way.

Of course, both LBACS and K9 Kismet will be happy to get monetary donations. The links on their names will take you to the donation pages.

If you want to actively participate in the Enrichment Team’s canine culinary course, visit this link and apply to volunteer. There are lots of things you can do as a volunteer, including Enrichment Team work. Cats and rabbits also benefit from shelter enrichment, and if you’re primarily a cat or bunny volunteer, you can still pop into the food prep room and sink your gloved hands into a therapeutic, gooey concoction of kibble and food. You’ll also get a swell little red Kong sticker to add to your badge.

“If you think that you can’t walk dogs or you don’t want to clean poop, there’s lots of things you can help pets’ lives while they’re at the shelter that aren’t physical or dirty,” Burak said. “It makes their lives in the shelter a lot more bearable.”

Yours drooly

The absolute best way to help a pet is through adoption or foster. Long Beach Animal Care Services’ dog kennels are once again near capacity, and they are in desperate need of fosters for large breed dogs, over 30 pounds, for a minimum of 30 days. It's a huge help in reducing kennel stress. Of course, if you want to keep them longer, like forever, that’s fine, too — no pressure, of course. If you’re interested, please contact petfoster@longbeach.gov and fill out an application form here. Big dogs don’t get chosen as often as the little ones, and there are so many large dogs in shelters. Being cooped up in a kennel for long periods causes kennel stress, and no one gets to see their true personality and how great they are.

Foster a big dog and help them show their true selves. Here are a few candidates — the entire group is here on the web page.

Gumbo (ID#A705236) is a long-stay fellow who celebrated his third birthday already in the LBACS shelter and will see another one if he doesn’t go home soon. “Celebrate” in fact is the wrong word — there’s nothing to cheer about if you have to sit in a kennel all day with some breaks for walks and play and a Kong toy. What about at night, when all you want to do is cuddle with a human and share treats? Gumbo is a cuddler, all right — his recent foster compared him favorably to Velcro. He also loves to play and revels in costuming up for special events and holidays. Want to give Gumbo something to celebrate/ Foster or adopt him now!

Cheerio (ID#A732947) is a 2-year-old complete goofball with a slapstick sense of humor. Take a look at him deliberately falling down the stairs at the play yard wading pool, and you’ll agree! One of the creative, loving volunteers shared his tale: “This boy came to us as a stray November ’24 after being found alone by LBPD. Cheerio will charm you with his good looks, devotion and goofball attitude. He simply beams when he’s around his favorite people, loves to be pet, and immensely enjoys rolling in the grass and romping around with toys and balls. He’s ready for you to build on his already impressive sit and down skills, and he’ll never turn a training treat away, gently taking them from your hand. Cheerio was a bit shy at first but has quickly relaxed and enjoys meeting new volunteers and other friendly, playful dogs in shelter playgroups. Skipping breakfast has been shown to negatively impact your overall health, so a lifetime of breakfasts with our Cheerio is just what the doctor ordered!”

Oh, this dear, dear dog. Bubba (ID#A740118) was picked up as a stray with one ear completely ripped off his head. LBACS vets took good care of him, and today, the volunteers describe him as “the sweetest dog ever.” It’s touching how some abused and unfortunate animals are nonetheless trusting and loving. Bubba is easy to walk and loves time with people. Check out his story on the video.

Thanks to volunteers Amber and Gusti for the videos.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Fix Long Beach extends resources

TNR cat trappers will get special rates for female cats! Use the contact information in the graphic below for information and prices.

California Adopt-a-Pet Day

Join Long Beach Animal Care Services in participating in the second annual California Adopt-a-Pet Day! Adopt your new best friend and get the adoption fee waived! (All application requirements still apply, but that’s a good thing!) More information about the event can be found here.

California Adopt-a-Pet Day takes place Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St. (at entrance to El Dorado Park), Long Beach. No parking fee for shelter visitors.

Cake Swap Party — with kittens!

June 15 is Father’s Day, so what better way to get a kitten adopted than to ply Dad with cake and then, when he’s stuffed with goodies and his resistance is down, lead him to the kitten tent and see if you can cadge him into adopting a cat. Just like when you were a kid! Bring a cake, pay for cake, or just look at the cakes on the table (if you bring a cake, bring a cake server, which you can take with you when you leave). Get a snack at the taco bar and enjoy pop-up shopping, and check out the reason you’re there: adoptable kittens! You must register to attend; read the rules and register here.

The Cake Swap Party takes place Sunday, June 15, noon–3 p.m. at the Sports Basement, 2100 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach. Ticket prices are free to attend only or $23.18 for five slices of cake if you don’t bring a cake.

Cool Cat Collective’s Zine fest

Zines are DIY self-published booklets that can be about anything, and in this case, it’s cats. Cool Cat Collective, the Fourth Street boutique-cum-gallery-cum-kitty rescue, will present its first-ever Cat Zine Fest the weekend of June 27, and they’re looking to fill the shop with zines about or cats or featuring the little skeezicks. cat butts, fantastical cats, your own cat, your neighbor’s cat, a dream you had where you were a cat — the only limit is your imagination! Illustrators, writers, collage artists, all artists are welcome! Please send all submissions to meow@coolcatcollective.co. General concepts due immediately; once your spot is confirmed, physical copies will be due by June 13. The inaugural Cat Zine Fest will be a weekend long celebration of cats and the zine medium. Cool Cat Collective will donate $1 from every zine sold to their rescue partner @tippedears. The more zines folks submit and the more that sell, the more kitties will be saved!

The Cat Zine Fest takes place on Fourth Friday, June 27, 6 p.m. at Cool Cat Collective, 2741 E. Fourth St., C, Long Beach

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.