Recently in Events Category
- Sept. 10, 10:30 a.m. to noon: PAWS to Read Program will hold a reading-aloud session for youngsters at the Hermosa Beach Library, 550 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach (310-379-8475). More info at www.spcaLA.com.
- Sept. 15, 10 a.m. to noon: spcaLA presents a foster class for volunteers interested in temporarily taking in pets waiting to be adopted into a permanent home. The class is free and applications are available at www.spcaLA.com. "We provide the pet, you provide the home." Pets that have been fostered in a family environment have a much better chance of being adopted. Class meets at the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village (in the auditorium), 7700 E. Spring St., Long Beach. Call 323-730-5300, Ext. 300, or email foster@spcaLA.com.
- Sept. 18, 1-3 p.m.: Dog owners can celebrate back-to-school month by picking up some education for themselves at the Responsible Dog Ownership Day presented by the South Bay Kennel Club. The free, AKC-sponsored event will take place at Arthur Johnson Park, 1200 W. 170th St., Gardena, with the stated purpose of educating "first-time dog owners about the responsibilities of dog ownership and helping current owners enhance their relationships with their pets." San Pedro's Barbara Millman, obedience chairperson for the South Bay Kennel Club, will provide information about the AKC's Canine Good Citizen certificate. She will also administer the test for those who want to apply for the certificate. Members of the Southwest Obedience Club of L.A. also will provide information about obedience classes and give demonstrations. Dogs of several breeds and varieties also will be on hand in a mini "Meet-the-Breeds" show. Call 310-324-3549 or email sobykc@aol.com for information; also, www.akc.org. The public also is welcome to attend the South Bay Kennel Club's meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday (9/1) at the Nakaoka Community Center, 1678 W. 162nd St., Gardena. There will be a discussion about the upcoming event. We'll be sure also to post a reminder when the time gets closer.
- Sept. 18, 4-5:30 p.m.: A concert for the animals -- Animal-Loving Musicians Support will donate a performance to help raise funds for Diamonds in the Ruff, a nonprofit animal rescue organization based in Los Angeles (310-699-2747). The benefit concert will feature jazz and pop standards performed at The Strings Connection, 716 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. Call 310-377-0803 or email alms4animals@hotmail.com for details.
Dino's Pet Shoppe (named after one of the owner's springer spaniels) will offer three days of special shows, along with vendor booths and other specials.
Here's the schedule:
- Friday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Bird Experience will put on a bird show. Hand-fed birds also will be on display and for sale.
- Saturday: 11 a.m. to noon, Illusions by Allen, a show featured at the Magic Castle, with "magic with animals;" 1 p.m., ribbon cutting ceremony with the Lomita Chamber of Commerce; 1-2 p.m., reptile and bug show.
- Sunday: 2:30 p.m. Blessing of the Animals to be held in the store's parking lot; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., pet adoptions; discounts on the store's newly remodeled self-serve dog wash ($12 per dog, a savings of $4).
The Empty Saddle Club showcases the unsung heroes of the equine world this weekend at Mule and Donkey Days 2010.
The event kicks off at 7 tonight, Friday, with a TGIF party. The public is invited to bring a dish to share and listen to country-western music.
At 8 a.m. Saturday, cattle events include team roping, penning and team sorting, with events wrapping up by 4 p.m.
Sunday is probably the best day for spectators to observe the humble but mighty mules and donkeys.
Activities -- including cutting, halter, English, jumping Western, trail and Gymkhana -- start at 8
a.m. and continue into the afernoon.
For more information contat Vic Otten at 424-634-0397 or email him at vjotten@cox.net.
I'll admit I'm not much of a reptile fan. Lizards scared me as a kid and reptiles in general just never struck me as good pet-potential.
But they do have their fans.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (7/17/10), the PetCo stores in the South Bay will host Repitle Rallies featuring specialists who can answer questions about everything from Bearded Dragons to Leopard Geckos.
There is an up side to reptiles as pets -- they don't eat a lot, are relatively cheap and they don't need daily walks.
Reptile owners are welcome to join the rallies, according to the news release.
Others who feel wary around reptile pets are welcome too, to get acquainted with the creatures and attend care and habitat and "how to" seminars ...
An estimated 4.7 million households have reptiles as pets, according to the American Pet Products Association Survey from 2009-10.
PetCo stores that are participating include:
Redondo Beach: 537 N. Pacific Coast Highway (310-374-7969), 3901 Inglewood Ave., Suite G (310-344-1370)
Torrance: 24413 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 8 (Crossroads Shopping Center) (310-530-5945)
Rolling Hills Estates: 51-A Peninsula Center (310-377-5560)
Westchester: 8801 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles (310-645-7198)
Photo by Carol Beuchat
Meet CH Maplecreek Back in Black, the 3-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi who won the Best in Show titles both Saturday and Sunday at the All-Breed Dog Show in Torrance. Those in the know are saying he is a dog to watch. Best in Show is the dog that has won in his breed category, group (herding in this case) and then over all the other top group winners.(What a cutie, no?)
And this special note from dog show watcher/blogger Billy Wheeler: "The corgi beat the number one dog in the country, the Scottish Terrier, CH Roundtown Mercedes Of Maryscot (call name Sadie), to win the BIS. Saide and handler Gabriel Rangel are from Rialto CA."
Our winning corgi is owned by Les and Ginger Veik and Bill Shelton. The two-day show at North High was sponsored by the South Bay AKC and drew more than 1,500 dogs to compete in breed conformation and obedience trials.
Our special thanks for permission to use this photo goes to photographer Carol Beuchat of Mission Viejo (check out her galleries of beautiful dog photos in natural, outdoor settings on her web site) and to Billy Wheeler of the the "Dog Show Poop" blog site.
And congratulations to all the winners at the show. Keep your eye out for that corgi at upcoming dog shows.
Read related posts.
I had a chance to stop by North High in Torrance this weekend where the 66th annual All Breed Dog Show was being presented by the South Bay AKC. Something like 1,500 dogs along with their owners and handlers -- and dozens of vendors selling everything from specialty dog beds to leashes to supplements and toys -- converged on the school grounds for the two-day competitions.
Of special interest to me this year was the rally obedience course supervised by San Pedro dog trainer Barbara Millman.
We'll post the winners here when we get them. Meanwhile, here are some photos I took:
This is VanDyke, a Lhasa apso, getting ready to go on.
Below are some scenes from the obedience "rally," a contest that has owners take their dogs through various obedience stations off-leash. Dogs sit, stay, lie down, walk backwards and jump hurdles.
There are always plenty of vendors set up for the show each year:
More photos on the jump.
It's that time again.
The South Bay Kennel Club will present its All Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial Saturday and Sunday (that's Aug. 8 and 9) at North high School in Torrance. And it's free (you pay only for parking, but you might want to bring some cash or a card for the many dog-related vendor booths and lunch).
I've attended the show in the past and posted about it last year.
It's great fun to see all the breeds up close, watch them being groomed, and get a real-time view of how these shows unfold and all the work that goes into showing a champion dog. You also can chat with owners, handlers, breeders and judges if they have a few moments in between shows.
Judging begins at 8 a.m. both days and group judging (for the various breed 'groupings' such as working, herding, toy, etc.) begins at about 2:30 p.m. Best in Show is
judged following the groups.
The schedule can be found at www.jbradshaw.com where you can link to the Judging Program to find out when and which ring number your favorite breeds will be showing.
Well, kids, it's here -- the annual America's Family Pet Expo at the Orange County Fair grounds in Costa Mesa.
If you're a pet lover (and we assume you are if you're reading this) and you've never been to this event, it's worth the drive down (the fair kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday, April 17-19).
Daily shows, competitions and demos feature diving "splash" dogs (Drama, a regular at the San Pedro Dog Park, will be competing I'm told), exotic pets, pony rides, free flight bird shows, a cat show, dog grooming makeovers, and police K-9 demos.
Thousands of pet products will be available for sale and pet rescue groups will be on hand with animals available for adoption (including many of the breed rescues).
Some of the vendors also give out free samples.
Warren Eckstein of The Pet Show (KRLA 870 AM) is scheduled to broadcast live from the expo fair grounds between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday.
Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (60 and older), $6 for kids 6-12 years and free for children 5 and under. There's a $2 discount if you buy tickets online via Ticketmaster.
I usually head out there each year with my childhood friend Shirley (we grew up next door to each other once upon a time) -- she's the cat person, I'm the dog person. So between us we make it to most of the exhibit areas, although we skip the reptiles and rats.
Maybe see you out there this weekend.
So here's the scoop on yesterday's "Shop and Adopt" event to benefit the San Pedro Animal Care Center:
6 dogs,
4 cats,
and 1 turtle.
All got new homes.
A big thanks to all the volunteers and shelter staffers who worked the event. If you missed this one, there will be another vendor fair on Dec. 21.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.