In an effort to find long-term resident dogs a fur-ever companion, OC Animal Care hosted an adoption event for the members of the “Lonely Hearts Club” throughout February 9th and 10th. During the weekend, all dogs who had been available to adopt for more than two weeks had a free adoption fee. The event was a huge success -- the public made colorful Valentine’s cards for our shelter pets which are now on display in the lobby, and fifteen long-term resident dogs found their new forever homes. Cleve, both a staff and volunteer favorite, was a longstanding member of our Lonely Hearts Club, arriving at OC Animal Care in July of 2018. On the first day of the event, Cleve had a heart-to-heart connection with one of the event attendees and was adopted by her new, loving family. Cleve’s new owner plans on giving him lots of love and taking him for long runs through the park! Thank you to everyone who came and supported our Lonely Hearts Club event!

The numbers are in and everyone here at OC Animal Care could not be more grateful for the support from all the partners and community members who helped make 2018 a year of success! Check out the Press Release and infographic linked below to learn more about the impact we were able to achieve together!

Follow these helpful tips to stay safe and happy while walking your pet: 1. Leash and Harness -For everyone's safety, always walk your animal on a leash and make sure they are wearing a collar that suits them. There are a variety of different harnesses and collars that would be appropriate for your pet depending on their size and breed. Choose a leash and collar that is appropriate for your animal with the help of your trainer or vet. 2. Be Prepared -You should always be prepared and bring waste bags to clean up after your pet. Cleaning up your pet’s messes keeps the surrounding community clean and residents happy. -Teach your pets proper street manners and walking etiquette. On long walks you should always bring water and a water bowl to keep your pet hydrated. -Adjust your animals walking needs to the weather conditions for that day. -Change your walking distance to what’s appropriate for your animal’s fitness level. -On longer walks, be prepared by bringing an animal first aid kit. 3. Have Fun! -Let your animal have fun and explore! Enjoy this time to bond and really learn about their unique and individual personalities. Always encourage your pets and don’t rush through these simple moments. Your pet will love and appreciate this special time together!

Volunteers Needed to Help Count Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Orange County

Santa Ana, Calif. (January 7, 2019) – The County of Orange is seeking around 1,000 volunteers to sign up to help with the 2019 Point In Time count, taking place Wednesday, January 23, and Thursday, January 24.

The Point In Time is a biennial effort required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, counting people experiencing homelessness in a given point in time during the last 10 days in January. The data resulting from the 2019 Point In Time count will provide information to help the County and its partners better understand and address homelessness.

Volunteers are primarily needed to serve as field surveyors, who will canvass predesignated areas across Orange County and conduct surveys of homeless individuals. Volunteers are also needed to serve as team captains, host leads, host team members, photographers and videographers, and A/V and tech support. Volunteer opportunities are available in morning shifts and evening shifts on both January 23 and 24. Volunteers are projected to mostly complete the count on January 23, with volunteers following up on January 24 to cover any areas that might have been missed. (See descriptions of volunteer opportunities and links to register here.)

In-person training for volunteers will be offered on Saturday, January 12; Wednesday, January 16; and Thursday, January 17 in Fullerton, Tustin and Mission Viejo. The two-hour, in-person training is required for all team captain volunteers and is optional for all other volunteers. (See a full list of training options and an RSVP form here.)

Each team of field surveyors will be led by a team captain, who will have specific training and most likely experience in outreach or providing services to homeless individuals. Volunteers will receive information leading up to the Point In Time count covering details such as what to wear, how to conduct the app-based survey, and how to ensure safety.
For additional information about the 2019 Point In Time count, visit https://www.everyonecountsoc.org/ .
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Linda has been chosen for Volunteer of the Month. We love that Linda is always there for the dogs. She is dedicated to our furry friends and is a reliable dog walker and socializer. Not only is she a dependable dog volunteer, but she is an amazing photographer. Her photos capture the essence of our shelter dogs, and help make them more adoptable by capturing their personalities. She is loved by the dogs and we are so happy to have her on our volunteer team. Congrats!

OC Animal Care hosted their annual Pawliday Adoption Event and Santa Photos every Saturday during the month of December! The shelter's Pawliday event was a huge success! 98 pets were adopted and found fur-ever homes on Saturday, December 22. OC Parks, OC Libraries and the Pet Adoption Center of Orange County joined in the festivities and hosted a booth to raise awareness about their organization. OC Waste and Recycle also provided giveaways and educational material during the event to educate the public on the ‘scoop on poop!’ We cannot thank everyone enough for adopting and coming out to support OC Animal Care! The shelter also hosted Santa Photos every Saturday in December until Christmas! OC Animal Care offered the public to bring their furry friend down to take a photo with jolly St. Nick to raise funds for the shelter’s medical pets program. A total of $1,423.80 was raised to help our shelter pets through the Noble Friends Foundation for OC Animal Care! Special thanks to all who came out to take a photo with Santa, and for OC Animal Care’s amazing volunteers who ran the Santa Photo booth! You guys ROCK!

OC Animal Care’s online C.A.T. adoption campaign held November 28-December 15 helped hundreds of cats find loving homes! OC Animal Care was at cat-pacity with cats and kittens at the beginning of November. Staff members had to think fast to help this population in need and the idea of the C.A.T. was born! C.A.T. is an acronym for the “Cutest of All Time” species that had overrun the shelter. OC Animal Care staff members joined in the fun and stepped into the spotlight to create fun videos and promotional content for the event – and their hard work paid off! Over the course of the adoption campaign, 241 cats found their loving homes! Shelter staff and volunteers are ecstatic they had the opportunity to help so many of Orange County’s feline friends. OC Animal Care would like to thank all of their amazing staff who went above and beyond, and the community who adopted and helped spread the word about the “Cutest of All Time” species! Click the links below to watch the promotional videos!https://youtu.be/H9-pc_cRr3M https://youtu.be/GyV0AtJSRzU https://youtu.be/btKvcT5BgYk

Meet the Anaheim Ducks December Cogs for Dogs pick, Diamond! This sweet 5 year old pit bull has a mellow and loving personality. Diamond is a doggie playgroup ROCKSTAR! She’s done great with other dogs her size and is ready to meet her new family. Help Diamond find a fur-ever home for the holidays! Thank you Anaheim Ducks Foundation for all of your support! CLICK HERE to watch Diamond's video!

UPDATE: PHONE LINES ARE BACK UP!We are experiencing technical difficulties with our phone lines. Our IT department is working on resolving this issue ASAP. We apologize for the inconvenience. For the time being, please contact us on our after hours line at (714)259-1122 with any general inquiries. If you have questions about pet licensing, please contact us at Acslicensing@occr.ocgov.com Thank you for your patience!

On Sunday, December 9, OC Animal Care attended Irvine Animal Care Center’s Home for the Holidays event! A total of four dogs and four kittens attended the special event. All four kittens and three dogs were adopted into loving families! The last dog waiting for a home, Pia the Chihuahua, was given a change of scenery and able to stay at Irvine Animal Care Center. The shelter is so grateful to be in a partnership with such a wonderful shelter. This year, Home for the Holidays was an event to remember! Thank you to all who came out to say hello and adopt a shelter pet!