Pet Care

• Keep your veterinarian's phone number in an easily accessible place for use. Also keep the phone number of a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic. - Make sure your animals always wear current, legible identification. Without identifying information, pets separated from their human companions cannot be reunited with their families. "If you license your pets, they'll come home. If you don't, they're all alone."
• The City of Culver City requires that all dogs have current licenses, rabies vaccinations, be spayed/neutered and microchipped.
• Using a leash is required for dogs in all Culver City parks. Even if your dog is well trained, use a leash to help keep your dog safe from other dogs or other dangers. Keep your cat indoors at all times.
• Spay or neuter your cat, rabbit, or dog, and encourage others to spay or neuter their pets. For more information, talk to your veterinarian.

ADOPTION

Each year, millions of dogs, cats, and other companions die in animal shelters due to lack of homes. Adopting an animal from a shelter or adoption group, rather than buying an animal from a breeder or pet store, is one simple way to reduce the need for euthanasia of healthy dogs, cats, and other animals.

Friends of Culver City Animals is not an adoption or placement agency. However, we do maintain an extensive list of rescue, adoption and animal welfare organizations.

If you are interested in making a lifetime commitment to an animal, or volunteering with an adoption organization, the following resources may be helpful to you.  Please note that each shelter or adoption/rescue group has their own policies regarding fees and other requirements for adoption:

• spcaLA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Culver City contracts with spcaLA for ALL animal sheltering services: pets, wildlife, all live healthy and injured animals, adoptions, lost and found animals, dead animals and more. 
• spcaLA Shelter in Hawthorne (South Bay Shelter) - 12910 Yukon Avenue, Hawthorne, California 90250 (310) 676-1149     
• spcaLA - P.D. Pitchford Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street, Long Beach, CA 90815, (562) 570-SPCA 
• Los Angeles City Animal Services. The City of Los Angeles currently has 6 shelters. Two shelters are close to Culver City: West Los Angeles, located at 11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310) 207-3266, and South Los Angeles, located at 3612 Eleventh Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90018, (213) 485-0117.
• Los Angeles County Animal Control. The county shelter closest to Culver City is in Carson: 216 W. Victoria St. between Main & Broadway, 2 blocks south of the 91 Freeway, east of the 110 Freeway. Please note: Victoria St. is the same as 190th St. (310) 523-9566. Hours: Monday to Thursday 12 PM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Sundays & holidays.
• Seal Beach Animal Care Center: 1700 Adolfo Lopez Dr., Seal Beach, CA, (562) 430-4993. 
• PetSave Foundation: Focuses on the adoption and care of domestic rabbits. Contact them by calling (310) 539-5679.
• Petfinder: This website features adoptable pets from animal welfare organizations across the country. You can search through more than 100,000 adoptable pets, locate shelters and rescue groups currently caring for adoptable pets, browse their resource library, and much more.

SPAY / NEUTER / VACCINES

Spaying and neutering are surgical procedures performed by veterinarians to prevent animals from being able to reproduce. Females are spayed, and males are neutered (sometimes the word "neuter" is also used to refer to an animal of unknown gender, or to a group of animals of mixed gender.) Spaying and neutering help reduce pet overpopulation and the use of euthanasia on healthy animals.

Keeping your pets up-to-date on routine vaccines as well as having them microchipped will help prevent common, even fatal illnesses. Plus, you'll save on costly vet bills in the future, and microchipping will increase the likelihood that your pets will be reunited with you should the unthinkable happened and they become lost.


LOW COST CLINICS

Value Vet
1278 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 446-3908

FixNation
7680 Clyborn Avenue
Los, Angeles CA 91352
(818) 524-2287


BENEFITS OF SPAYING AND NEUTERING PETS

• Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
• Can eliminate or reduce certain health problems that can be expensive or difficult to treat.
• Eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer, and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer in females and testicular and prostate cancer in males.
• Makes pets better, more affectionate companions and less likely to stray, run away, roam, spray and mark territory.
• Eliminates the heat cycle in females.
• Reduces the incidence of temperament and behavioral problems.
• Makes pets less likely to bite.
• Reduces the number of unwanted pets that end up in shelters.
• Potentially saves the pet owner money and reduces the number of homeless and suffering animals.
  
  

MICROCHIP / IDENTIFICATION TAG

• It's a common saying in animal shelters across the country: "95% of lost animals with ID make it home, 95% of lost animals without ID don't make it home."
• Can your pet talk? Unless your dog or cat can speak well enough to tell someone your phone number or address, you should make sure your animal always wears identification.
• In Culver City, it's the law for dogs and is highly recommended even on indoor-only cats. Check out the "break-away" or "safety" collars for cats if you are concerned about it being caught on something. The tag should have your name, address, and phone number. Better yet, include information on any medications, and a phone number from out of the area that can be called after an earthquake or other disaster. This tag is your companion's ticket home.
• In addition to a collar and tag, microchipping can be used for identification. A microchip can be inserted into your pet by your veterinarian and is about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip can be detected by scanners used by animal services officers, in shelters and by veterinarians. The microchip's unique identification number and the pet owner's contact information are registered in a database, and you can be notified when the chip is scanned. (If your animal is microchipped, make sure you keep your contact information up-to-date with the registry!) A microchip is a good backup but not a substitute for a collar and tag. Talk to your veterinarian for more information. For information on microchips in birds, go to this website.

FIRST AID

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can be reached at (888) 426-4435.


TIPS FOR A HAPPIER PET

• Make sure your pet wears an identification tag to enable him to be returned to you if lost. To prevent animal behavioral problems, enroll your new puppy or dog in behavioral training classes.
• Animal behavioral problems can be health related. Arrange for your pet to have a complete medical exam by a veterinarian at least once a year.
• Prepare for disasters. Make sure you have a plan for your pet in the event of an earthquake, fire or flood.
• Plan for your pet's future in case something happens to you and visit www.hsus.org/petsinwills for more information.
• Learn how to avoid dog bites, and how to prevent your dog from biting, by going to www.NoDogBites.org.
• Have a heart, be smart and make sure your pet is spayed or neutered. Courtesy of: www.hsus.org
• Make sure your pet has a comfortable and safe place to rest with adequate shelter.
• Remember to provide adequate and clean food and water (especially in the summer.
• Pets need periodic examinations by a veterinarian and need regular dental examinations on a yearly basis after the age of three; neglecting dental problems can be serious and painful for your pet.

FINDING A NEW HOME

There may be many reasons why you cannot care for a pet in your possession. Regardless of the reason, it is worth the effort to find the animal a new, loving and safe home rather than to turn him or her over to the pound or the local humane society where they may be euthanized. The Humane Society of the United States has comprehensive information on how to rehome your pet.

Lost and Founds Pets

Pet Care

Pet Emergency / Disaster Relief