Our Pet Resource Center on Skid Row is open…and off to a great start!

As you may have heard, we’ve started an easily accessible Pet Resource Center headquartered on Skid Row. After being open just a few weeks, we’ve seen so much need and enjoyed so much success already.

During only our second week, we’ve helped 11 pet owners, some of whom were living on the streets of Skid Row, others who are in supportive housing. Medical vouchers were provided so that people could get vet exams and treatment for pets with medical conditions. Spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchipping were also offered, and everybody received free pet food, collars, leashes, and other necessary supplies. We also gave out pet ID tags, as we do for every pet that comes through our program. And what we realized through our interactions and conversations was that by providing opportunities for pet owners with no resources to care for their cats and dogs with dignity, in the way all who love their pets want to do, we are giving so much more than services. What we’re really doing is investing in them as caretakers and human beings, empowering them to be the pet guardians they wish to be. We’re helping them feel good about that, and therefore about themselves again.

Resized_20160721_141315For example, Little Jackie had been at the South LA Animal Shelter too long. Hiding in her cubby, scared and shy, it was doubtful that this sweet little dog would ever be adopted. Being involved with homeless advocacy, we are familiar with LAMP, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness and help some of the most vulnerable individuals in Los Angeles through a continuum of services and housing. So when our counselor, Amanda, heard that a LAMP community member needed a dog, she thought of Jackie. Because of our collaborations, Jackie has a home today and is making someone very happy! Her unconditional love will help her new owner as he breaks out of the cycle of poverty. And his unconditional love for Jackie has made the difference between life and death.

Another example of how we’ve helped is Tyrone. He is one of the 11 cases who visited our Pet Resource Center recently. When his friend could no longer care for Precious, he offered to take her in. But what he wasn’t prepared for was a puppy – Tyrone had no idea she was pregnant! Through our program, Precious and her puppy, Star, will be supported with basic services including dog food, crates to keep them safe, and eventually both dogs will be spayed and licensed. Now Tyrone and his girls will be supported as they remain together, an intact family.

Our partnership with Inner City Law Center (ICLC), a non-profit law firm providing legal representation for underserved communities of LA, has made this innovative program possible. We’re happy to report that other agencies which provide services for homeless communities have already been in touch with us and are interested to see how we can potentially work together! This makes us even more excited as we look ahead into the future and gradually, responsively tailor our growth.

Because we at DDR know that pets provide stability and love, and many people living […]

Community outreach – first quarter stats!

We do much of our work in South Los Angeles, and have been doing it for many years now. But there are other areas where we offer intervention assistance, such as Bell, Compton, Lynwood, South Gate, Maywood, Inglewood, Huntington Park, Paramount, Watts-Willowbrook and Florence-Firestone.

Among these communities, in the first quarter of this year alone, low income and homeless pet owners received 566 services, including free spay and neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and medical assistance such as blood tests, X-rays and medication. We also provided humane euthanasia for pets who needed it, dog training classes, fixed fences, built dog runs, gave monthly pet food donations, and delivered dog houses to a total of 276 pets. Of these almost 300 animals, 36% were large dogs (mostly Pit Bull mixes and Siberian Huskies), 57% were medium to small breed dogs (mostly Chihuahuas and Poodles), and 7% were pet cats.

helping in Gilbert

This work was in addition to the 317 cats and dogs who we’ve assisted in the first three months of 2016, preventing them from entering the South Los Angeles Animal Shelter through our Shelter Intervention Program. On top of it all, we vaccinate free of charge an average of 150 dogs and cats living in South LA every month at Gilbert Lindsay Park.

We added it up and are proud to say that in the first quarter of 2016, we’ve assisted 1043 dogs and cats by offering free and subsidized services, helping to keep them with their families! We are so proud of the work we’re lucky enough to do day in, and day out. How do we make this happen? How do we continue to expand our services into the communities that need our help the most? We do it with your support, your donations, and your volunteering. We do it because of you, and we do it with you.

Gilbert

There is an old saying: whatever you focus on grows. We see this truth in animal behavior all the time! So let’s take it a step further. Let’s focus on what we want in our communities, instead of what we don’t want, and offer families with pets an alternative to surrendering them to a shelter when their situations gets dire. Let’s help keep pets in their first home, their forever home. And let’s continue doing it together.

Here’s to working hard to achieve three more successful quarters this year, and onwards.

How one man, one dog, and one night can make a difference.

People ask us all the time: Do you still help homeless people with pets?

image1Our answer is, Yes. Of course we do. But there’s more to that answer than we usually share, and those unsaid words are actually the most important. The real answer is, No. We help people with pets.

More and more, we are hoping to move away from the label of homeless, because for many who live outside, they do have a home. Their home is the street. Here is a story of one such man, his one dog, and their home on the street. This is a story about how a few of us worked together to help them.

This duo has been together for thirteen years, and many of those years have been spent camping at a park or under a bridge. They go everywhere together, do everything together, and this gentle man brushes his dog every single day. He calls her, “his heart.” Having seen them for months in the area, sometimes panhandling for money, sometimes simply walking by, we got to know them. We asked for their names, their stories. We shook his hand and stroked her Shepherd ears.

And what happened over the course of our encounters with them is that we began to care for him and his dog, as we have cared for many families before who have also lived on the street. We decided it would be great to give them a night in a comfy motel room. We were over the moon at the idea of helping this pair have a chance to recharge. Even if it was only for one night, and even if it didn’t “solve the problem,” we felt this small gesture would mean a great deal. And we were right. A night of peaceful, dry sleep. Of hot water. Of feeling safe. Can we put a price on that? Don’t we all deserve that? Isn’t it possible to feel renewed by everyday niceties?

Solving problems cannot be accomplished without first taking action. For this one man and his dog, a connection, which did not exist before now, came into his life. Similarly to when we rescue or adopt one pet from an animal shelter, it does not solve the entire shelter system or all the pet overpopulation problems. And yet it is worthwhile. It means something to touch that life. So we take small actions, and over time we look back at a pile, a heap of steps traveled, and we see they have grown large. They then become a foundation.

We have built our foundation. A lot can be accomplished when just a few creative, compassionate people take action, and no matter how little the first step might be, it has a ripple effect. For this man and his dog, it brought more than a night of security and comfort, it brought recognition, respect, and hope. We will continue to work at supporting them however we can. Please continue to help us do so. The more you get our backs, the more we can get their’s, and possibly soon we will be able to live […]

We spent our Valentine’s Day the perfect way.

We spent our Valentine’s Day spreading the love the best way we know how: By holding a clinic that offered free spay and neuter, vaccinations, microchips and so much more to over 200 cats and dogs. This February 14th clinic, held at Gilbert Lindsay park, was our busiest clinic yet. After teams of DDR volunteers went door to door to pass out flyers over two consecutive Saturdays, the message got out to families with pets who live in 90011, and the message began to spread. We decided to focus our efforts on 90011 because the average income there is less than $30,000 per year, more than 60% of the residents rent their home, and it’s a very dense area with a population of more than 100,000 people. There are a lot of dogs and zero animal hospitals located in the immediate vicinity. Many homeless people live in the park, and many people have no transportation other than the bus, which does not allow dogs or cats on board. Getting help for pets is scarce.

 

There were so many highlights at this clinic, so many wins. Seeing all the families who brought back their puppies for their next round of vaccinations. The exams we offered right on the spot where doctors explained how to care for various types of chronic medical issues also brought us much joy, as it provided each pet a more compassionate and humane existence. Plus our spay and neuter sign up sheet got so full, it looks like we’ll be booking our next free clinic on Sunday, March 13th! Parvo, DHPP and rabies vaccinations were given to all dogs over four months old, and puppies weeks and older received their boosters and worming medicine. Every pet received free flea and tick treatment thanks to a donation from the manufacturer of Frontline. In that vein, we also appreciate everyone who donated hundreds of pounds of dog food as almost every family went home with a big bag of kibble or a case of canned food. There were collars and leashes for those who needed, and we were there for the cats as well.

The park staff was incredibly supportive, allowing us to hang up two banners in the park near the basketball courts and soccer field. Flyers hanging in the recreation room also helped get the word out. It was incredible to watch a line forming so long, we had to cut it off an hour before the clinic was scheduled to shut down just to manage volume. Our SCVMA volunteer vets and vet techs were amazing and generous with their time, as always. The fact is that without their support these free clinics would not be possible. Adding to the stellar team, Amanda, our Shelter Intervention Program counselor, set up her table right at the park, positioning herself to give further assistance to families with pets needing a further hand. We were able to help several serious medical issues, including a very large hernia on a very small Chihuahua.

We also hired a community groomer – Willy’s Grooming – to groom matted and tangled poodles and terriers. To watch families delight in how beautiful their dogs looked after a bath, and to have the opportunity […]

Watts Dog Clinic: How One Day Can Make A World Of Difference.

Watts clinic

Our recent, completely free Watts Dog Clinic was a huge success. How do we measure success? There are the numbers: 40 dogs were spayed or neutered, and over 200 dogs were vaccinated, micro chipped, and licensed. But more than just the numbers, an amazing team of caring people gathered together for one reason – to provide services for an underserved community of Los Angeles. Watts does not have even a single animal hospital operating in its area.

There are many groups that united to make this day special. Thanks to our friends at the Watts Coffee House (on the corner of 103rd and Wilmington) we had a terrific location, right in the center of the community. One of the biggest challenges that many dog owners in Watts face is lack of transportation.

Watts clinic-1Having a variety of services in one location, and making it a great location, was an enormous benefit.  The Coffee House also helped us get the word out, which led to a line of people down the block on 103rd Street. What a crowd!

First we must thank the Amanda Foundation and their amazing team of vets and vet techs who provided all of the veterinarian services.  Then there’s the Department of Animal Services staff and volunteers who were on hand to provide information about the many services that Los Angeles City shelters offer as well as one-stop licensing.  A SCVMA team of veterinarians also came out and volunteered their time by offering medical advice, a new initiative at our clinics.

 

Watts-AmandaMembers from the ASPCA Safety Net and Spay Clinic Team volunteered and provided services to families with dogs who needed more than just basic vaccinations or sterilization.  For example, we met a cocker spaniel who had a serious eye injury, and thanks to the ASPCA, this sweet dog was examined and treated at an animal hospital early this week.  Our own shelter intervention counselor, Amanda, did an amazing job with her outreach efforts and wrote vouchers for animals needing extensive medical care, issues such as mange, ear infection, and even one senior dog with a terminal liver issue. Everybody was assisted, and there wasn’t a dog with a medical problem was who was turned away.

By coming together to work as one cohesive team, volunteers from Watts Project, Ghetto Rescue FFoundation, and Downtown Dog Rescue passed out hundreds of pounds of dog food and treats, fitted hundreds of dogs with new collars and leashes, and passed out other goodies such as toys, dog beds, and shampoos. We even had a pet ID tag engraving machine, which made over 100 free dog tags for the community’s dogs.

Watts tags

A big thanks also goes out to trainer Larry Hill from Puppy Imprinters who came out and signed people up for dog training classes, as well as to Aromatherapy Groomers for coming out […]

DDR IN THE COMMUNITY: DDR AT BEST FRIEND’S NO MORE HOMELESS PETS CONFERENCE 2010, Las Vegas

Pictures courtesy of Josie Gavieres

Lori presented in this year’s No More Homeless Pets Conference in Las Vegas sponsored by the Best Friends Animal Society. She was part of the Rescue Essentials TRACK and the Keys to Building Lifesaving Relationships TRACK. Both sessions were full and people had to be turned away for the Sunday session. Buzz from participants after each session were positive and a lot of attendees came up to Lori to find out more information about Downtown Dog Rescue’s life-saving programs. Here was Lori’s schedule for the weekend!

Saturday, October 16
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Workshop Session I
• Only a Phone Call Away: How Community Help Lines Can Keep Animals in Their Homes – Liz Finch, Lori Weise

Sunday, October 17
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Workshop Session I
• Pits Are Pets: What You Need to Know to Save America’s Dogs – Lori Weise, Ledy VanKavage

Congratulations Lori for another awesome set of presentations and a big thank you to Best Friends for inviting Lori to once again share information to the rescue and pit bull advocating community!

DDR YOUTH MATTER: Pitbull Art by Laurel Elementary School Students


Here are some of the fabulous coloring projects that Elementary students from Laurel Elementary School in West Hollywood who attended their school’s Earth Day event did at the DDR Table! We were the “Adoption Table.”

DDR volunteer Brittany Fulgoni brought the wonderful coloring pages from Pitt Bull Rescue Central’s Poppy’s Place webpage for kids to the event. My particular favorite is the pink eyes pit bull with fun colors. I commented to the young boy who did it that he really had a knack for color and he smiled. I told him he might want to consider art school in the future and he said YA! Everyone wanted the brown marker but I told them that their pitbulls can be any color they wanted and so some of them did the traditional brown pitty and some did the multi-colored pitbull! Future artists and pit bull lovers of Los Angeles!
It was a wonderful day!

DDR IN THE COMMUNITY: Earth Day at Laurel Elementary School

by Irene Soriano Brightman

Erin Viera from the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots Program requested DDR’s participation in Laurel Elementary’s EARTH DAY event held last Saturday, April 24, 2010!

We were the “PET ADOPTION” booth and what a fun day it was! “WE” involved me and volunteer and DDR foster mom, Brittany!

We had a majority of our dogs showing at PETCO-Pasadena so Brittany brought the little sweety she was fostering, Coco! She also brought her own cute chiwiwi, Peanut who always likes to come along for the ride!


Knowing that we would be interacting mostly with elementary school kids, we made sure to have fun things like stickers and colorful displays!


Brittany came up with the great idea of providing coloring pages of doggies for the kids to color.


The event was a lot of fun for the kids. Of course, everyone wanted to walk Coco and Peanut, they would all gather together and fawn over the two little sweeties. At times, the two little ones got overwhelmed with the kids but Brittany was good about letting the kids know to give them room to breathe. For the kids that played with either dog, they were given the choice of wearing I PLAYED WITH COCO or I PLAYED WITH PEANUT stickers. Many of the kids wanted both!

DDR is a 501C3 Nonprofit Tax-Deductible Charity
Tax ID: # 46-1958507

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 90035 Pasadena, CA 91109

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