Scratch This: Say 'Chews'!

A gallery of stately portraits of adoptable shelter dogs from Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) is gracing social media, without a single poker-playing pup needed for attraction purposes. Those doggies do just fine on their own!.

Just about every municipal animal shelter in the country is overcrowded with dogs, cats or both. Some euthanize for space, and others seek every alternative to avoid putting a healthy pet to sleep. LBACS is in the latter group — our shelter has so many dogs that it’s run short of kennel space. Sending dogs to foster homes, temporary boarding and rescues as well as adopting them to homes and making adoption more affordable are big helps — see Tail-waggin’ and nose-booping events for the adult-pet adoption specials. But as animal advocates often say, you can’t adopt your way out of pet overpopulation as long as people continue to abandon their pets and breed them for bucks.

But that’s another discussion dog pile. Right now, fostering, rescue and adoption are what we have, but we also have creativity. The LBACS staff and volunteer team are always coming up with something inventive, the latest being professional photo shoots. Nici Daniels, one of the moving forces behind K9 Kismet, lined up with Dogma Pet Portraits eight years ago to showcase her rescue’s dogs. The effort’s success gave her the idea to try it with LBACS dogs.

“I work closely with the shelter as both a rescue partner and a volunteer, and I am always looking for new, creative ways to showcase the amazing dogs we have available for adoption,” Daniels said. “While volunteers and staff often take photos of the dogs, it can be difficult for us to capture their true personalities in the shelter environment. Since I know David [Capron, co-owner of Dogma Pet Portraits, with his wife, Sylvaine] is the best of the best when it comes to capturing a dog’s personality, I reached out to see if he might be willing to work with my shelter friends directly. As I expected, he said, ‘Absolutely!’”

Daniels said that the quality images that Capron captures allow potential adopters to see each dog as an individual with their own unique personality instead of just another sad face in a kennel.

“By showing them in a positive light, interacting with people, and enjoying a different environment outside the shelter, we are able to increase their visibility, highlight their character, and hopefully connect them with families who may be the perfect match. It’s also a fun opportunity to give the dogs a much-needed break from the shelter and the chance to enjoy a new kind of adventure.”

Dogma has enjoyed 17 years as professional pet photographers, and the owners are great supporters of the rescue community. They regularly invite local rescues to bring in dogs for photoshoots to help them gain exposure and improve their chances of adoption. They also take part in a calendar project run by the whimsically named SpoofDawg rescue organization, which raises funds for animals during emergencies. The calendar features photos of first responders and their dogs, and Dogma takes all the photos.

“I should note they offer this service completely free of charge to the rescues they work with, which is amazing,” Daniels said. “K9 Kismet has partnered with Dogma many times over the last eight or nine years to showcase our Kismet pack members. David and Sylvaine are family to us at this point!”

This was Dogma’s first photoshoot with LBACS dogs. All photographs are shot in studio, so shelter volunteers were called on to haul the huskies and schlep the shepherds there.

“I connected with Melanie [Wagner, LBACS bureau manager] to talk through logistics,” Daniels said. “With 13 dogs, we knew we would need 13 volunteers willing to chauffeur a pup down to the Dogma studio in Costa Mesa. Of course, our volunteers were eager to step up. I think the volunteers had as much fun, if not more, than the dogs!”

Throughout September, Dogma and K9 Kismet are offering LBACS supporters — that’s you — a private portrait session for just $140, regularly priced at $240. Daniels put together a list of FAQs for anyone wanting to take advantage:

• Who is a supporter? If you adopt, foster, volunteer, donate, share posts, or simply cheer us on, YOU are a supporter!
• Do I have to have my photos taken in September? No, you just need to book your session in September to get the discount.
• Can my human family members be in the photo? Yes, of course!
• What if I have more than one pet? Bring them all. No extra charge.
• Can I bring my puppy? Yes. The studio is safe and secure even for the youngest pups.
• What if my dog doesn't sit still? Don't worry. That's David’s job. He will work his magic. Promise.
• Does Dogma photograph cats? Yes, they capture beautiful shots of cats, too!

“I’m not gonna lie, though — cats are very seldom enthusiastic subjects, but we always get the shot!” Sylvaine Capron assured.

The best part, Daniels said, is that Dogma Pet Portraits is going to donate 100% of the $140 session fees directly to the LBACS Shelter Enrichment Program that K9 Kismet helps manage.

“That means supporters will walk away with beautiful family portraits and help provide comfort and enrichment to the shelter dogs patiently waiting for their forever homes at LBACS,” Daniels said. “Pretty amazing, right?”

Daniels is well pleased with the success of the photo shoots and is grateful for the support of the shelter’s forward-thinking management, she said. Six of the 13 dogs photographed were adopted by people who saw the photos on social media, and other dogs went home with families who originally came in to adopt a gallery pup. Says plenty about meeting shelter pets in person. Egging on people with pretty portraits works well in this respect. KTLA’s Kacey Montoya, a renowned animal advocate as well as a news reporter, saw the portraits and recently invited some of the gallery dogs to her broadcast.

“We were thrilled that Kacey recently featured some of the Dogma dogs,” Daniels said. “She has been such an incredible advocate for animal welfare, and her support helps shine an even bigger spotlight on these deserving animals. The visibility these portraits create is far reaching and continues to make a real difference.”

Keep a watch for the next installation of LBACS dogs in the gallery. Daniels is referring to it as Dogma Pet Portraits Part Deux. Enchanteur, non?

This article has been corrected to reflect the correct name of the doggie in the introductory photo.

YOURS DROOLY

To entice you, we’re featuring three portraits of adoptable pooches. Qualifying adopters can take any of them home — not just the portraits but the models themselves. The entire gallery is available here. They’re all available for adoption, foster or rescue at: Long Beach Animal Care Services, 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.

Meet Graham (ID# A736222)! This 3-year-old pittie is the kind of dog who wins hearts with his soulful eyes and graham-cracker-and-marshmallow-color fur. He is as handsome as he is sweet. Graham can be a little shy with new people at first, but once he feels safe, his goofy, affectionate side comes to life. He delights in life’s simple pleasures such as strolling on a long walk, rolling in the grass, soaking up sunshine, and leaning in for affection. During his photoshoot he even hammed it up under the AC vent, proving he knows exactly how to enjoy the little things.

Graham is a quiet soul with a calm presence who rarely makes a sound at the shelter. He shows signs of being a wonderful companion, keeping his kennel clean and waiting patiently for his morning walks, which suggests he may be housebroken. On leash, he’s easy to handle, is treat motivated, and is always up for an adventure, especially if it’s a car ride that end with a Pup Cup.

Kapow (ID#A742402) is an 11-month-old compact-size husky mix with a name that perfectly matches his personality. Kapow is an energetic, sweet, goofy pup who makes everyone around him smile. He loves people of all ages and has been great with dogs of all sizes. Kapow is house trained and crate trained, is good in the car, and already knows his basics like “sit,” “down,” “wait” and “leave it.” He’s still polishing up the “off” command and may jump up to greet you with puppy enthusiasm, but his love of treats and praise makes him a joy to train.

When it comes to playtime, Kapow is all in. He loves tug of war, agility, chasing the flirt pole, and showing off just how high he can jump. Because of his athleticism, a tall fenceor supervised outdoor play time is recommended. We did say he's a husky mix, right? This playful pup would thrive with an active family who can match his energy and give him plenty of exercise, training, guidance and love. He’s currently in a temporary foster home through LBACS. We would love for him to head to his forever family straight from there.

My gosh, could you just? Look at this face! It belongs to Peanut (ID#A728674), a 2-year-old American pit bull terrier who has been at LBACS since September 2024, which makes him one of the shelter’s longer-stay residents. When he first arrived, he was a shy, nervous pup, and the noisy shelter environment only made things harder. With the patience of staff and the kindness of volunteers like Ali, who comes in to read to him on weekends, he has blossomed. Surrounded by the love and support of his shelter friends, Peanut has really started to come out of his shell. Heh heh.

His volunteer bestie Ellen said this: “Peanut is a happy boy who enjoys a nice walk and a good nap in the sun. He is almost certainly housebroken since he keeps a very tidy kennel and is always eager to get out for his walks. He loves the grass, and if you scratch his back he will roll and wiggle around, hoping for chest rubs. Peanut knows his basics, like “sit” and “lie down,” and he is very treat-motivated, which makes him eager to learn more. After his walk he will happily sit beside you in the shade, watching the world go by while soaking up pets. He also enjoys car rides, especially if there is a Pup Cup or burger patty waiting at the end!”

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.