The Better Neighbor Project helps make forever homes a reality for pets of people in need

If your cat, dog, rabbit or whatever pet you have has a microchip embedded in them somewhere, you can thank Dr. Gary Michelson. Michelson, a SoCal orthopedic surgeon and surgical innovator, created the Michelson Found Animals Foundation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

After he learned of the great number of pets who were separated from their humans during the disaster, he set up the first free pet microchip registry — it’s now the model for all microchip programs for pets. With the use of chip technology, the chance of a dog or a cat being reunited with their family is more than doubled, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

“Since founding Michelson Found Animals in 2005, I have been deeply dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of animals,” Michelson said. “Our organization's work is grounded in the belief that every pet deserves a loving home and quality care.”

In the 19 years since its establishment, Michelson Found Animals has branched out like a banyan tree, and that tree is thriving in a veritable care desert. Adopt and Shop, a project begun in Found Animals’ early years, had locations in Lakewood and Culver City. They featured shelter animals and all the goodies you could want to buy for them in an atmosphere that was more comfortable for people who were put off by shelter environments.

Both locations closed around 2021 so that Found Animals could focus on grants and programs that help the community. This year, the organization’s grants provided over $1 million for surrender prevention and spay/neuter, and its programs help people in need ensure the spirit of forever homes.

“Unfortunately, one in ten households in America lives under the poverty line,” Found Animals’ website reads. “This means that there are millions of households where family members have to make difficult decisions around shelter, food and healthcare and it can mean that pets – members of the family as well – may be surrendered.”

Found Animals’ assistance programs include the Pet Inclusive Housing Initiative, Return to Home Project, Spay and Neuter Initiative and Better Neighbor Project. The Better Neighbor Project is Found Animals’ primary community-service arm. Better Neighbor and their partnership involvement help underserved communities feed their pets and keep them healthy through partnerships with pet food distribution and low-cost spay/neuter.

Since 2020, the project has served over 56,000 families, including more than 110,000 pets, and distributed over 345,000 pounds of pet food at events providing free care and resources to the community.

“The Better Neighbor Project started around early 2020 or the end of 2019,” said senior program manager Victoria Piar, who’s been with the project since September 2020. “The initial goal was to address unhoused people and their pets. The original programming involved a part-time staff member visiting encampments with a wagon full of supplies and pet food. When COVID became a greater concern, the organization determined that the program had to expand.”

Piar and her team identified what she called the resource deserts and then established partnerships and partnered with human-service organizations to help people in need. In May 2020, they partnered with the Boyle Heights YMCA to host a pet-food pantry along with their people-food pantry, and they now regularly hold events in partnership with the YMCA in Koreatown and the Paramount Care Foundation in Paramount to run free biweekly pet food pantries.

In September 2021, they visited Long Beach to host a pet-wellness day in Houghton Park.

“That was one of our largest events,” Piar said. "We administered vaccines and flea treatment and gave out food. We served over 360 pets that day.”

The most recent Long Beach event took place Oct. 27 in the back of the hypercool Cool Cat Collective. Helen Sanders CatPAWS rolled their spay/neuter mobile clinic into the Collective’s parking lot to fix the community cats from the Compton-based TippedEars Foundation’s TNR (trap/spay-neuter-vaccinate/return to whence they came), and Hectic Paws animal rescue from the Los Angeles area provided vaccinations and other services for both the TippedEars bunch and cats and dogs from the homes of local residents. Pet food, beds and free microchips were in generous supply thanks to Better Neighbor and Found Animals.

Piar was heartened by the attendance at the October event and the sense of community it fostered.

“I love meeting all the people who care for their pets — it’s a project near and dear to my heart,” she said. “They wait hours to get their services, and they drive miles. We had an event in the Valley in the Encino area, and people drove from Long Beach to get there!”

Piar said that the Better Neighbor Project hopes to do more events in Long Beach in 2025. Our community will surely appreciate cutting down on the commute they willingly make to care for their furry family members.

Access this link for community resources that Better Neighbor Project provides. A calendar of events is available here.

YOURS DROOLY

No holiday sugarplum coating for the adoption column today: Long Beach Animal Care Services is seriously overcrowded and needs adoptions and fostering — now — particularly where dogs are concerned. Their website has photos and bios for all the dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets housed in their shelter, and the staff and volunteers work hard at socializing them and making them healthy for adoption.

Access this link to foster a pet — no pressure to make it permanent, but no one will complain if you do, least of all the animal. Of course, adopt any pet through this link, or better yet, go in person to meet them.

Let us introduce you to Kitty (ID#A731176), a 12-year-old orange tabby. This senior cat has been so friendly with volunteers, staff and visitors — he’s a total lovebug! Kitty has dental issues like any senior cat does, and in addition, he’ll have lifelong hypothyroidism. But he also has lifelong love in his heart for anyone who gives him caring, pets and attention. He could sit on your lap or couch watching your favorite show or football game. Kitty is ready to go home with you today!

Meet Terry (ID#A681984), an 8-year-old domestic shorthair female. Sweet Terry had a tough time at the shelter with shyness — she’d stay in her small cubby area, often enjoying the volunteers petting her head and shoulders. But over time, she gained enough courage to move into her larger living area and finally her perch, where she became Merry Terry! She needs more love and encouragement than ever, but mostly, out of the kennel and into a lap! Can we please find a warmand loving home for our adorable Terry?

Eugene (ID#A726356) has just passed basic training for his “army crawl”! This 2-year-old bully has done even better with crawling into the hearts of every volunteer and staff member at LBACS. If you come meet Eugene, he’s guaranteed to make a sortie right into your heart!

You get the full Monty (ID# with this guy! Monty’s the perfect dog — a playful, young German shepherd/Lab mix who’s only about a year old. He loves playing with humans and other dogs, doesn’t mind baths at all, and plays so gently with his toys that you won’t be constantly replacing them! Monty wasn’t his full self when he came in — he was nervous and had difficulty parting with the family that said they’d found him. He also had a tummy illness that kept him isolated for a while, and as a result, he became more anxious and started spinning in his kennel. But he’s all better and ready to go to his forever home, where a guy like Monty fully belongs.

If you’re looking for a “holiday gift” for a loved one, bring along this gift certificate and pay the shelter release fee, which, by the way, is only $25 until Dec. 29. That way, both human and pet get the gift of forever!

LBACS is located at 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach, at the entrance to El Dorado Park. No parking fee for shelter visitors.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

December Ugly Sweater Days at Feline Good Social Club

Wear your ugliest Christmas sweater to Feline Good Social Club’s Christmas Party and enjoy the little hosts, in their own sweaters, decorate it with the ultimate in accessories — cat fur. Ugly Sweater Days will be the absolute cat’s pajamas, so reserve your tickets on the link below!

December Ugly Sweater Days takes place Friday–Sunday, Dec. 13–15 at Feline Good Social Club, 301 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, tickets $19.99, purrrrrchase here.

Locals-Only Art Show, Home for the Holidays edition, at Cool Cat Collective

The Cool Cat Collective is part shop, part gallery and all-cat dedicated, including to the adoptable cats in their little play area. Cool Cat is using art to help local cats find homes for the holidays with its first open-submissions, all-ages art show that features artwork from a wide range of artists depicting adoptable cats from non-profit 501(c)3 animal rescues located in Los Angeles County or Orange County. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the rescue organizations where the featured cats are located. Adopt virtually here — you may find someone you’ve met.

CAMP low-cost mobile vaccine clinic at Zoom Room

Long Beach’s favorite playground and learning center for dogs welcomes the Community Animal Medicine Project (CAMP) to its parking lot so that your pets can get their vaccines and stay healthy. After, you and the dogs might want to check out the Zoom Room for its great services! The cats will more than likely want to get the heck home. No appointments — just show up. Details about the types of vaccines, cost and clinic schedule for other parts of the city are available here.

The CAMP mobile clinic will be at the Zoom Room Dec. 20, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. The Zoom Room is located at 100 E. Willow St., 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.