Well, bully for you!

Usually, Scratch This! stays close to home with its stories. This column, however, features a Santa Ana-based nonprofit, Southern California Bulldog Rescue. Long Beach has plenty of bulldogs waddling on leashes down the streets, but our city doesn’t have any breed-specific nonprofit rescues that I know of.

SoCal Bulldog Rescue does have Long Beach connections, though. They’ve attended many of the Community Action Team’s Beautiful Bulldog Contest events, where they offered their squatty little sweetie-pies to good homes. They’ve taken in bulldogs from Long Beach, and they’ve adopted a few to Long Beachers. Besides, Santa Ana isn’t terribly far away.

The bulldogs in SoCal Bulldogs foster homes come from shelters and other rescues. The nonprofit also accepts dogs relinquished from people for one reason or another. Their website states that they take in 250 bulldogs annually, and like many good rescues and shelters, loving volunteers provide all the housing, home checks and care. The rescue gives any medical attention that the doggies require and spays/neuters and vaccinates any that haven’t been. Then, volunteer fosters take them in.

When someone applies to adopt a bulldog, the prospective parents receive thorough screenings that include home checks. Anyone adopting any animal must be able and willing to provide care, but bulldogs have special needs. First, they’re brachycephalic breeds, which have been bred to have pushed-in faces. Such breeds include English bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, Pekingese dogs and Persian cats. This deliberate breeding has caused health problems, worsened by backyard breeders who see money and breed the dogs for profit. The overbred mothers are frequently dumped in shelters or streets.

“In producing this cosmetic appearance, we have compromised these animals in many important ways and you, as an owner, must be familiar with the special needs of your pet,” SoCal Bulldogs’ health issues page reads.

If you live with a bulldog or are considering one as a forever roomie, SoCal Bulldogs’ website contains every bit of information about their health and care that you want or need to know. The volunteers are an active bunch, too — they hold fundraisers like auctions, pizza nights, they bring bulldogs to meet-and-greets called Bulldog Road Shows, and they publish calendars with tantalizing cheesecake photos of their dogs (not much leg, though). SoCal Bulldogs’ website and Facebook and Instagram pages have all the fun stuff as well as the educational bits. The organization runs entirely on donations and fundraising, so click here!

YOURS DROOLY

People are sometimes surprised that purebred animals wind up in shelters and rescues, but they do for a number of reasons. The lucky bulldogs make their way to Southern California Bulldog Rescue or another bulldog-specific nonprofit.

SoCal Bulldogs goes tooth and jowl with prospective adopters to make sure their slobbery little charges go home with someone who’ll give their new buddy proper care. Loving a new pet comes naturally and in its own time, immediate or gradually, but a bulldog requires special care, and the new human must want to provide it, whether it’s cleaning skin folds to prevent infection, monitoring for respiratory problems, or checking their eyelids. Not all bulldogs will have issues, but if you love bulldogs and are ready and able to deal with any trouble, bulldog related or not, then boy, do we have some smush-faces for you!

To apply to adopt any of these dogs, click the link on the name. All the Southern California Bulldog Rescue adoptables are on display here.

Simba is a gentle 4‑year‑old bulldog with a heart full of love and a few medical needs. He’s been sad since his family surrendered him in May, but he’s starting to wag his little nub tail again. He’s quiet and sweet, and he loves lying in the sun. Simba has severe allergies but thrives on his Royal Canin HP diet. He needs monthly Cytopoint injections for his skin medicated baths, and ongoing eye care. Simba’s allergic to everything except chicken and can’t handle grass, either, so he’ll need a family committed to his medical routine and diet. He’s not reactive to other dogs — just shy. His reaction to cats is unknown. Simba deserves a home that will give him comfort, care, and love.

One cookie may not be enough, but this “Cookie” will be enough for you! Cookie, age 7, will fill your heart with so much love that you won't need another cookie or even another bulldog! She’s loyal to her foster family, loves to take walks in the park, ignores other dogs, and is playful with her family in the foster home. Cookie just doesn't have any interest in sharing her home with another dog — she figures that she’s enough!

Petunia, age 4, came to rescue from a shelter. She was scared and unsure of her new surroundings. Now, she’s blossomed into a sweet and playful girl who loves people, walks and toys. Petunia would need to be tested with any potential housemates, and her history with children is unknown. Please consider giving this sweet girl her forever home!

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Low-cost vaccinations available from CAMP

Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) and Community Animal Medicine Project (CAMP) team up weekly for low-cost vaccine clinics because every pet deserves to be happy and healthy. The clinic is open to the first 60 pets. Please also note the following information:

• All are welcome to participate. You do not have to be a resident of Long Beach or our contract cities (Signal Hill, Los Alamitos or Cerritos) to participate. This clinic is open to anyone who's interested!
• No appointment necessary.
• Please bring all past vaccine records. 
• All dogs must be on a leash.
• All cats must be in a carrier. 

For a list of prices and services as well as a schedule for clinics in other locations, please click here. 

Benny’s Birthday Bash and Love Your Pet Party

One more birthday! Benny the Cat is turning 9 years old in August! That’s reason for celebration because the shelter vets didn’t expect him to make it past 3. Benny survived horrific abuse as a kitten with the combined help of LBACS, Helen Sanders CatPAWS and the profound love of his adoptive mom, Bev, who fell hopefully in love at first sight.

Celebrate Benny and every pet we’ve shared a good life with at a pawsome party featuring music, games, raffles that include a pair of JetBlue tickets, adoptable kittens and dogs (whee!), face painting, vendors, arts and crafts, and a big, cat-face birthday cake! Tickets are just $20 each and include entertainment, activities and lunch! Kids 12 and under are free. Celebrate Benny and the lives he’s impacted, the adversity he overcame, and his special bond with so many fellow pet lovers and humans all over the world who are living their best lives after surviving abuse.

Benny the Cat’s Birthday Party takes place Saturday, Aug. 22, 11 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at Seal Beach Marina Community Center, 151 Marina Dr., Seal Beach. Tickets are $20 (kids 12 and under are free as Benny’s special guests) and are available here.

Pet Loss and Illness Support Group

The worst day in the life you share with a pet is the day you have to say goodbye forever. Grief is personal on the one hand, and on the other hand, you have a lot of company who get what you’re going through. Helen Sanders CatPAWS rescue gets it, too, and offers a space for anyone who also gets it, who’ll never say to you, “But it was just a cat.” Or a dog, or a rabbit, or a horse, or a goldfish. The members of this group will listen, connect, and support you, and you’ll do the same for them.

The Pet Loss and Illness Support Group takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. at the Bay Shore Church, 5100 E. The Toledo, Long Beach. No cost for the meeting.

 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.