More gorgeous Akitas available at Riverside Humane Society

UPDATE:  HOORAY!  Alice and Spain have both been ADOPTED!!  Thanks Riverside Humane Society!  We really appreciate all of your hard work!

So, even though we usually have the monopoly on rescued Akitas in SoCal, Riverside Humane Society has stepped up and is now taking care of 2 gorgeous Akitas who need homes.  Alice is a beautiful brindle and white 4 year old female, and Spain is just a baby, only 5 months old and growing.  He is a strikingly handsome black and white male who will be a big boy. 

To adopt Alice or Spain, please contact:

Riverside Humane Society Pet Adoption Center
6165 Industrial Avenue
Riverside, CA 92504
TEL: (951) 688-4340
FAX: (951) 359-6417

Pet Adoption Center Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday / 10:00am - 5:00pm
Monday / Closed

Ends of the Earth

So, on Saturday night we were supposed to go to "Yappy Hour" as sponsored by the generous folks at Dirty Dogs and Meow in San Diego and Nature's Variety. If you went and you were expecting us, sorry we missed you, but we promise it was for a good cause!

We are a really small group who works ALL OVER Southern California.  No kidding.  On Saturday, I never made it to Dirty Dogs since I drove up to Los Angeles from San Diego to pick up 2 Akitas there.  On Friday afternoon we were notified by one of our FAVORITE shelter workers (Hi T!) that there a couple had left 2 gorgeous purebred Akitas.  Much to our dismay, this happens all the time.  So why was this an emergency?

Well, the Akitas are a bonded pair of brothers, littermates raised since birth.  They were given the very unfortunate names of "Cookie" and "Wonderfluff". And if that wasn't bad enough, poor Wonderfluff is deaf.  He relies on his brother to hear for him.   When the dogs were seperated during intake, they cried and wailed for each other, and  Wonderfluff started to totally freak out.  The LA City Shelter couldn't guarantee that the boys would be placed together, which was essentially a death sentence for Wonderfluff since he is handicapped and was exhibiting "unadoptable" behavior when separated from his brother, and Cookie probably would have been so depressed he would have curled up into a ball in the corner.

So T, who kicks butt on a daily basis,  moved mountains, and sliced through red tape with a quickness.  The boys were at the neuter clinic the next morning, then my happy ass got to roll up to Highland Park and pick up 2 very groggy, conehead wearing Akita kids who were promptly rechristened "East" and "West".  Double the cute, double the fun, double the poop, but they both share a run!

They follow each other everywhere.  Except into water. West fell in the pool, and he is a lousy swimmer.  They are available for adoption now and of course they have to be placed together. DUH! Don't even ask about separating them unless you want to be reincarnated as a an incontinent dog's pet bed. 

The New Kids!

So here are the cuties that we are getting out of the shelters today!  It's going to be a long and busy day on the road, but so worth it!

 

Please help to save Icy!

Please help "Icy" in the Downey LA County shelter, Animal ID A4041254 She is a white Akita mix weighing about 60 lbs, no behavioral issues according to the shelter workers who usually aren't big fans of Akitas.

We would help her if there was any way, we are just too full, we are getting 2 redlisted and 1 greenlisted dog tomorrow, plus one more out of SEAACA, and the best staff member at the boarding facility we use left so we are also in the process of looking for a new place for our dogs. 

Icy is still in lost and found and will be available for adoption soon. Please contact the Downey Shelter at (562) 940-6898 if you can help this sweet girl!

Akita Adoptions this Saturday 10/3 in Balboa Park

We are attending the annual Blessing of the Animals and Adoption Event in Balboa Park on Saturday 10/3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be near Park Blvd and President's Way -- the park is huge!

We will have Akitas and a Rottweiler who need homes.  I really hope we get some adoptions!  When I started rescuing, the economy was a lot better and we would only have maybe 5 or 6 Akitas a month.  Last week alone there were 9 Akitas in the shelters needing rescue.

There are just TOO MANY people losing their jobs and homes and abandoning their pets in SoCal.  Every day I get another e-mail about a dog that was left alone in a foreclosed house and I just don't get it since I would live in a tent in the woods before I would EVER give up my dogs.

Here are some of the dogs who need homes:

Dino:

Shika:

 

Sophie:

 

The rest of the dogs we have available for adoption can be seen at A Passion for Paws

Why You Should Adopt An Akita

They are loving, loyal and protective of their families.

They do not bark incessantly, but will alert you if a stranger comes to your home and act as a great security system.

They are very clean and easy to housetrain if they aren't already.

They do not eat as much as you would think for a big dog

They are highly intelligent, smart, and motivated to learn. They are easy to train

They do not need as much exercise as you think. One or 2 good walks a day should be sufficient.

They do not need a big yard. Akitas LOVE to be in the house with their people and are much happier.

They are beautiful dogs that don't require a huge amount of maintenance to look that way.

For anyone who thinks Akitas might be "dangerous" or "aggressive", keep in mind that just like individuals, each dog has its own personality. Some get along great with people, other dogs, cats, kids, birds and everything else. Others can be more selective about who they want to hang out with, just like you! The first person in the U.S. to have an Akita was Helen Keller, and I doubt she would have done well with an out of control dog! Akitas are considered to be a national treasure in Japan and are wonderful companions.