Long Beach
Animal Care Services

Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) announced today the First Annual Happy Howlidays Series, a lineup of adoption events and donation drives to be held across Long Beach on select days throughout December. The public is encouraged to enjoy the howliday season by attending an event in holiday-themed ugly sweaters or festive clothing and bringing unopened store-bought pet treats to share with furry friends while participating in various festive, holiday-themed activities.

“These fun, creative events show the commitment of Long Beach Animal Care Services staff and volunteers in the welfare of shelter animals,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I encourage residents to join the fun this holiday season by bringing in an item to donate.”

The First Annual Happy Howlidays Series will begin with a Kick-Off event at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.) on Saturday, Dec.10, 2022, from 1 to 5 p.m., followed by two adoption and donation drive events on Friday, Dec. 16 – one at Pet Supplies Plus (2086 N. Bellflower Blvd.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the other at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.) from 4 to 6 p.m. – where community members can donate toys and supplies for shelter animals or adopt a furry friend with no adoption fees. Donations can be made in person or through delivery via the LBACS wish list.

The series will conclude with a festive Wrap-Up event on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the LBACS shelter (7700 E. Spring St.) and will include the following highlights:

• Adoption Specials. To encourage the responsible, mindful adoption of animals in need of a home for the howlidays, LBACS will waive the adoption fees during the event for all pets.
• Raffle. Get a free ticket and show your support by purchasing more tickets to help fundraise for our shelter pets.
• Kennel Stocking Stuffers. Bring unopened bags of dog treats and toys to fill their holiday stockings.
• Ugly Sweater Contest. Eventgoers are encouraged to wear their best holiday-themed ugly sweaters or festive clothing.
• Ornament Decorating. Decorate ornaments to celebrate the howlidays with LBACS. Participants are welcome to take their ornaments home, or they can hang them on the howliday tree. 
• Gift Giving. Bring a gift for a furry friend and place it under our tree.

This free, family-friendly event series is intended to connect residents with shelter pets during the holidays. Therefore, community members are asked not to bring pets to the events.

“We are excited to have our community members find their furry friends this Howliday season,” said Staycee Dains, LBACS Bureau Manager.

The First Annual Happy Howlidays Series is presented by LBACS within the City of Long Beach’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, with support from various community partners.

More information about the Happy Howlidays Series is available at longbeach.gov/acs.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and the innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Long Beach Animal Care Services
Long Beach Animal Care Services ensures "Compassion Saves" by supporting the people and animals of our community through outreach, education, guidance, and support services. They protect shelter animals by creating an environment of care through enrichment and innovative programs.

Residents can get involved with LBACS by making a monetary donation, fostering, adopting, volunteering, donating supplies, spreading the word about adoptable animals on social media, and following @lbanimalcare on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.