Scratch This: The art of love
Long Beach shelter animals get a brush with immortality provided by their human friends.
A recent dark and stormy night didn’t dampen the artistic temperaments of 50 Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) staff members and volunteers as they sloshed into Ambitious Ales; picked up paintbrushes, palettes and a pint or two; and channeled their inner Clawed Monets and Andy Warhowls. The participants in Paint and Sip Night for a Shelter Dog or Cat created portraits of shelter pets and socialized with their fellow volunteers and staff members.
“The best part of the evening was mingling with people outside the shelter,” volunteer Debby Margulis said. Video courtesy of LBACS
LBACS volunteers Ricky Yim and Bev Moutet organized the event as a unique way to feature shelter animals and give volunteers and staff the opportunity to do something fun for the pets.
“It was nice to do something unconventional and different to help get the animals exposure,” Yim said. “I was very happy to see we had 50 people attend, which was the maximum number we could have. There were more that wanted to participate but, unfortunately, we were full. Hopefully, we can get everyone in next time.”
In August, Yim and Moutet attended a Pop!Art Studios pet-painting event at Ambitious Ales and thought it would be neat to create an event for immortalizing shelter animals in watercolor.
“I painted my dog Addy, but Ricky submitted a photo of Nash, a shelter dog, to paint,” Moutet said. “When Auriane de Rudder, the Pop!Art Studio owner, found out Ricky was painting a shelter dog, she said that she adopted her dog from the LB shelter and loved the idea of painting a shelter dog.”
It took two cat-herding months to organize the event. Yim originally wanted to host it at the shelter, but applying for an alcohol permit would have furthered delay, so he took the easier route of booking Ambitious Ales. Volunteers and staff then received invites to choose a pet and submit their photo. De Rudder and her team sketched each photo on individual canvases.
“The most time-consuming part was getting photos from the volunteers and staff because sometimes the animal submitted would get adopted,” Moutet said. “Ricky would have to reach back out for them to submit a different animal — but that’s a good problem! Ricky handled that part — I just made the flyer.”
The organizers didn’t share what the cost was, but it must have been considerable kibble. No funds came from the shelter or the city — Moutet and Yim handled it all.
“I spent a lot of hours on the corner, but it was totally worth it,” Yim quipped.
It was indeed. During the evening, the Pop!Art team circulated the tables, helping the participants choose and mix colors. They gave individual instruction on how to layer paint to represent fur texture, create light in eye pupils and indicate subtle shades of coat color in an apparently all-black pet. The participants added heart and soul.
“The paintings were colorful and eye catching — it helps promote the pets,” Yim said. “Maybe someone who's painting a particular dog or cat sees a feature they would like to accentuate and brings it out to help them get seen. As a matter of fact, one of Auriane's helpers asked about Tarragon [a kitten missing an eye] that night and was interested.”
Even people who don’t put painting on their lists of leisure time activities enjoyed themselves and were impressed with the individual attention and organization that Pop!Art provided.
“The setup is very nicely done, well organized, and people are nice,” Margulis said.
Is she tempted to paint her pets when she gets home? “I think not.”
Sonia Gutierrez was exploring shades of gray to add to her portrait of a slate-colored pit bull named Tomas. She enjoyed learning about techniques about art and said that she’d certainly consider painting her own two dogs if she can find someone to sketch them for her. Gutierrez, a new volunteer, particularly enjoyed socializing with other volunteers and staff, many of whom she hadn’t yet met.
Moutet said that different schedules make it difficult for even longtime volunteers to see one another socially. Quite a few told Moutet how great the experience was.
“It was especially wonderful to see newer volunteers participate,” Moutet said. “It shows that we have the best volunteers and staff that would take time out of their day, even outside of the shelter, to do something for the animals. Anything to help them get seen and adopted.”
YOURS DROOLY
Each pet’s portrait will go home with the adopter, perfect to hang on the wall with the rest of the family pictures. The portraits will hang on the pets’ kennels after the storms have passed and the watercolors won’t soak up any moisture. Right now, you can see them in the windows of the volunteer office. See if you can match up the paintings with any of these pets. Visit the shelter to match up a few more. One or two of them might match up perfectly with you.
Email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov to adopt or foster, or call 562-570-4925. Shelter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors.
Shiitake
Shiitake (ID#A750026), 4 years old) was a mess when she came in. Volunteer Allison saw her inner beauty and brought it out in her portrait. Now, as volunteers Janet and Susan will show you, Shiitake is lovely and ready for a forever lap.
Pip
LBACS’ community cat coordinator, Lindsie Merrick, painted beautiful Pip (ID#A747589) as an impassioned plea for a home for this senior girl. Pip is 7 years old and has a digestive problem that needs special attention. A rescue or foster needs to save her life. Can you help this special-needs cat? Volunteer Janet will tell you more about her.
Volunteer Allison likes Hutch (ID#A745799) so much that when he didn’t get painted at the event, she took home his sketch and a color palette and painted him there! Hutch is an apparent mix of German shepherd, Lab, Siberian husky and goofball. He’s just a year old and refuses to grow up. He’s a lot of fun in the yard and quite loving!
Volunteer Ellen’s portrait of Rally (ID#A746783) is remarkable in its faithfulness to its subject. They’re both works of art, anyway. Rally is a 2-year-old pitty mix with excellent manners. He loves spending time with people and other dogs. He’s also a ringer for Our Gang’s Petey the Pup. He’ll be the star of someone’s show for sure!
TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS
Shop Small-iday festival benefit for The Little Lion Foundation
Shop small and support local businesses, artists and crafters for great gifts and ethically sourced global goods, and support cat rescue at the same time! The Little Lion Foundation presents a free, fun holiday-themed event with caroling karaoke, the Miss Purrfect Pinup Pageant hosted by Show Me Your Kitties Cabaret, an artisan food court, raffles and wine and beer! Part of the sales will benefit the little lions at the rescue!
Shop Small-iday takes place Saturday, Nov. 22, noon–5 p.m. on the third floor of Sports Basement, 2100 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach
Community Cat TNVR Coalition meeting
Here’s a stat for you: in seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats. And 26 cats, give or take repetitions of male fertilization? The eyes cross, and Bastet only knows what kinds of lives they’ll have.
Just recently, volunteer trappers helped community members in North Long Beach get an entire community sterilized at Helen Sanders CatPAWS. Trapper King John Crouch led the effort to educate people on the literal ins and outs of TNVR — into the traps, out after they’ve stayed overnight and then been fixed and vaxxed and brought back to whence they came. Stray cat numbers in Long Beach are declining, thanks to these efforts, and you can join them! Come to the Community Cat TNVR Coalition meeting and learn how you can help trap, transport or share resources.
The Community Cat TNVR Coalition takes place Sunday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Long Beach Animal Care Services, 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking fees for shelter guests.
Programs for community cat TNVR education and certification
TNVR is the latest initialism for trapping, spaying or neutering, vaccinating and returning community cats to whence they came. Long Beach is making great leaps and pounces in the effort to make sure that our stray and abandoned kitties will go forth and breed no more in a concerted effort by our shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services, rescues, volunteer trappers and just plain folks like you who organize, share resources and learn to trap. One of them is John Crouch, who is one of Long Beach’s biggest TNVR advocate and educator. He recommends the Community Cats Podcasts for anyone who wants to learn how to trap and take part in a certified program. Access this link for a wealth of information.
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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