Scratch This: Saving lives, one by one

There can never be enough pet rescues as long as irresponsible breeding, abandonment and abuse of animals go on. Every rescue effort, no matter how great or small, saves at least one life.

Beachfront Mutts, a “very small rescue,” as cofounder Rebekah Minsent describes it, set up its lifeguard tower in November 2022. Since then, the rescue has been saving as many lives as their resources allow, like the parable of the little boy and the starfish. You may have heard it — there are myriad versions: A little boy comes across thousands of starfish that had been washed ashore and begins throwing them in the ocean one by one to save their lives.

A man comes along and says, “Hey, little dude! You can’t possibly make a difference in saving the lives of all those starfish by throwing them back one at a time! There are tons of them!”

The boy tosses the starfish in his hand back into the sea. “I made a difference to that one,” he says.

“So many dogs are at risk on the streets or in shelters because we are in a crisis, and we can’t keep up with the supply of unwanted animals,” Minsent said. “Unfortunately for some, it means euthanasia, so we try to help where we can to save them from that unfortunate fate. We can’t save them all, but for the ones we do save, we do everything we can to make sure they know love and have a family until they get adopted, or for our seniors until they let us know it’s time to go.”

Fostering a pet creates a link between the street and a forever home. The more fosters who volunteer to give an animal a temporary home — in some instances, the fosters become forever, the fewer pets will be left marooned in streets and shelters. Minsent and her husband, Kevin Rapien, fostered 20 dogs from a Los Angeles-based rescue during the coronavirus lockdown, when shelters and rescues were closed to the public. During that time, they researched what resources were available for pets and their people in Long Beach; now, they pass them forward to community members who find strays or need spay/neuter and medical assistance.

When the pandemic restrictions eased up, the couple realized that their experience had lain the groundwork for establishing their own rescue

“The single incident where I said, hey we should try this on our own, was a dog named Willie,” Minsent said. “He was found by a friend, scavenging for food in a gutter. She took him home, cleaned him up, and then I helped take the next steps at the shelter. In the meantime, she found his forever family! That was the catalyst to say, hey, maybe there’s something here we could do.”

Beachfront Mutts saved its first life in a pet-supplies store during Thanksgiving weekend.

“Violet was just a little puppy, maybe 3 months old,” Minsent said. “A man came into the front door yelling, ‘Who wants a puppy? Anyone want a free puppy?’ and he was holding her up. I said, ‘Let me see that puppy.’ I was holding her in the checkout line and the man disappeared out to the parking lot. I found him and said, ‘What’s the story with this puppy? Is she sick? Why are you getting rid of her?’ and he said he had 12 more puppies that he was also trying to ‘get rid of.’ So, because of backyard breeding or accidental litter, she was no longer wanted because they had too many.”

Beachfront Mutts got its nonprofit status in March 2023. Now, on a small scale, they pull dogs depending on how many available fosters there are and what dogs match the family’s or individual’s lifestyle.

“Our fosters become like family,” Minsent said. “Together, we look for what dogs we can help, and we work with local networkers at shelters to understand if the dog would be a good fit. We have local resources we work with to help with training, rehab, grooming, supplies and medical. Everything costs money and we don’t have a huge budget, so we try to be realistic about what we can take on. We work with sponsors or other organizations that can also help with medical.”

For all rescues, being the reason that a formerly neglected dog finds a home is worth all the blood, sweat and flea baths, even with the bittersweetness of wishing them bone voyage.

“Is it hard to say goodbye? Of course it is!” Minsent said. “But when you find a family that falls in love with your foster pup the way you did and they’re so excited about welcoming them home, it makes it all worth it! I hope people will consider fostering because it’s the only way rescues can do what they do.”

You want to be one of the wide-eyed kids who clear the beachfront of marooned pets? Email Beachfront Mutts at beachfrontmutts@gmail.com, or access their Instagram bio and complete a foster application. Adoption applications are there as well. To throw out a life raft, donate on one of the links in the bio or send a couple of items on their wish list.

[Two misspellings of Rebekah Minsent's name have been corrected.]

YOURS DROOLY

As small a rescue as Beachfront Mutts is, they still have two sizes of dogs! All of them are spayed or neutered and current on shots. Here are a couple who are ready for your couch, backyard and leash! Find adoption applications here.

Boo is a 10-year-old mini-poodle mix, rescued from the Devore shelter in January. He is loving and affectionate with people — he’s good with kids — and he’s so quiet. He enjoys snuggling on the couch and the occasional walk. Beachfront Mutts did a full dental, and although he may be missing a few teeth now, he’s just the happiest li’l guy with a lot of love to give. The fosters are still working on potty training, but he’s getting there!

Lucky Loki is a mix of six different breeds! He loves people and attention! He’s also curious and loves to play with other pups — keep him away from cats, though! His favorite activities are playing ball, going for walks and snuggling up on the couch. Loki has been on a recovery journey during the time he’s been under Beachfront Mutts’ care. He’s done swim therapy and red-light therapy, and he’s been in and out of his wheelchair, most recently in, the need for which was confirmed by an MRI. However, Loki doesn't let his disability limit him or slow him down — he’s so determined! His will be a lifelong disability that will need to be managed and supported. But the right family will not allow his disability to define him. He may need to modify what he can do, but he is a pup that will show you his love forever!

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Long Beach Animal Care Services’ Adoptable but Overlooked program

Kittens and puppies are winsome and may be easier to fall for and take home than older dogs and cats. Of course, they grow up to be dogs and cats. One reason that they wind up in shelters is that their appeal has worn off. The adult cats and dogs deserve homes, and they, too, have their own charm, including being particularly great for an adopter who doesn’t want to go through all that juvenile energy!

Long Beach Animal Care Services is located at 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach. Contact AnimalRescue@longbeach.gov or 562-570-3080 to adopt or foster. Shelter hours are Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. No appointments required to pop in, and no parking fee for shelter visitors.

Cool happenings at Cool Cat Collective

September swings at Long Beach’s cat-themed art collective! Actual cats from Tipped Ears rescue also reside there, waiting for someone to take them home forever! Check it all out here!

Feline Good Social Club September events

Book a yoga session and watch resident cats display the proper way to stretch — sometimes, right under you as you do a cat-cow pose. Enjoy a sound bath with kitty company, likely the only bath that a cat will willingly take. Make friendship bracelets or learn to crochet while you contend with the cats trying to knock the materials off the table.

Or just book a session and let the adoptable cats living at the lounge work their therapeutic magic on you. Maybe you’ll want to take one home as your permanent furapist! Book a session here.

The Feline Good Social Club is located at 301 Atlantic Ave., 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.