Which animal shelter or rescue group should I volunteer with in Los Angeles?

November 17, 2008 5:00 PM

Which animal shelter or rescue group should I volunteer with in Los Angeles?

Since adopting every single dog who needs a home appears to be impractical, I'd like to volunteer at a shelter or rescue group. I don't really know where to start, though -- in addition to the L.A. city shelter system, there are dozens of private rescue groups who also need volunteers. I'd be interested in hearing any specific suggestions of organizations to consider (or to steer clear of, as the case may be).

I will say that I'm somewhat wary of volunteering at a city shelter; the high level of animal stress and the knowledge that a number of the dogs will be euthanized makes me fear that the experience would be more wrenching than rewarding (and thus I might not be inclined to stick with it).

I live around the Studio City/Toluca Lake neck of the SF Valley, so bonus points for organizations within 5-10 miles.

Thanks!

posted by scody to pets & animals (6 comments total)

You could start with the Los Angeles East Valley Animal Services center, (which I found through this earlier heartbreaking FPP) but LA East Valley is part of the greater Los Angeles animal shelter system and I don't think they have a no-kill policy.

However, on that site I found this list of other non-city shelters. Perhaps one of these is a no-kill shelter close to you.
posted by mattdidthat at 5:32 PM on November 17, 2008

Best Friends Animal Society has a Los Angeles chapter:

Best Friends Los Angeles

I highly recommend them. Their volunteer program is extensive, and you can choose what kind of volunteering you wish to do, from education, adoption fairs, dig walking, graphic design, rapid response teams, event planning, TNR, fostering, et al.

I just signed up to drive animals in need. I have a good car for it.

I cannot recommend them enough! They are the ones who took in Michael Vick's fighing dogs, worked with animals in need of rescue in Peru, after Katrina, puppy mills.
posted by Vaike at 6:04 PM on November 17, 2008

Stray Cat Alliance! Am typing on iPhone and this cannot include link, but if you make with the Google-fu, you'll find them. They're not far from you and they do good work. You wouldn't mind fostering some snuggly kittens, right? Or helping at free spaying clinics for city residents? Or rescuing cats from crazy cat lady hoarding houses? Then this is the group for you.
posted by Asparagirl at 10:03 PM on November 17, 2008

I worked at the Pet Adoption Fund in Woodland Hills. They're just off the 101 North, at Canoga. Here's their website. http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA404.html They have dogs AND cats. They're the largest no-kill animal shelter in Southern California. They're always looking for volunteers. I really liked volunteering with them - it just involved mostly walking the dogs, picking up their poop, and showing them some love.
posted by dithmer at 3:33 PM on November 18, 2008

Bollocks, I meant to post their website as a link. There we go!
posted by dithmer at 3:34 PM on November 18, 2008

Thanks -- some good leads here!
posted by scody at 5:22 PM on November 21, 2008