Steve's Blog

Our Open Door Commitment
Thursday, March 7, 2013
By: Steve McNall

As an open door shelter, the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA welcomes any and all animals from our service area. On Friday, March 1, 2013, PHS was glad to have this philosophy.

Around 5:30 am a white truck was driven into our front parking lot and 3 crates containing 15 male and female Chihuahuas were abandoned at our front door. The dogs, confused, unsterilized, and dirty were brought inside where our staff fed them, vaccinated them, and checked their health. The females showed evidence of having had puppies at some point, and all the dogs were intact so we concluded that these dogs came from a back-yard breeding situation.

Because Chihuahuas are one of the most populous breeds at our shelter, PHS has developed programs to place them and to halt the continued crisis of pet overpopulation. We offer spay/neuter of Chihuahuas at no charge to residents of Arcadia, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. We hold public low-cost vaccination clinics every 6 weeks. Our Rescue Coordinator has developed placement partners in the mid-west and east coast where shelter Chihuahuas can be more easily placed.

But last Friday, these 15 Chihuahuas, not having had the benefit of our programs, were welcomed, sheltered, fed, and vaccinated because they needed it. Our commitment is to all animals and we are proud to be able to live up to it.

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Connecting with PHS
Thursday, February 14^th, 2013
By: Steve McNall

If you need one of our services, want to check for a lost pet, or see what is going on at PHS, you can do that easily. PHS is very accessible! Our website is www.pasadenahumane.org where you can:

Search for your lost pet
Look at our adoptable animals
Check out our volunteer program
Learn about wildlife
Check out the progress on the Animal Care Campus
And so much more!

You can also sign up for our weekly e-Newsletter here.

The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is also active in social media. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, foursquare,Google+ and Pinterest to learn what we're doing in the community.

Traditional methods work, too. Call us at 626.792.7151 to speak to a staff member or visit us in person at 361 S. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. Our kennels are open 6 days a week, Tuesday through Sunday.

We are here for you and the animals!

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Agressive Spay/Neuter
Tuesday, December 11^th, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Spay/neuter surgery is the single most effective tool we have to prevent pet over population and the resulting tragedy of euthanasia of adoptable animals. Pets that are sterilized are less likely to have specific health problems and may even save you money in licensing fees.

The Pasadena Humane Society has been providing public low cost spay/neuter services for more than a decade. Once the Animal Care Campus opens in the fall of 2013, PHS will be able to provide more options for spay/neuter to more residents. PHS is diligently working with each of our service cities to provide spay/neuter options that best fit the needs of the animals and residents.

Because of pet over population and the difficulty adopting both Chihuahuas and bully breeds, PHS has offered the surgery at no charge to their owners who are residents in our service area. Anecdotal evidence shows that sterilized animals are less tenacious than intact animals, as well as less likely to wander. Common questions and misconceptions are addressed here.

The public in general has become more aware of the benefits of spay/neuter. With the Animal Care Campus, PHS will be able to provide the mechanism for the surgery and a resource for excellent care in the animal community.

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Breed Specific Legislation
Friday, November 9^th, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Although there is no proper or specific definition for a pit bull, dogs with this generic label are frequently targeted by communities with a desire to create a safer community. At times, public officials may even go to the extreme of proposing a “ban on pit bulls” for their city.

The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA will not support a ban on any specific breed of domestic dog. Scientific studies have shown that an animal’s appearance is not a reliable way to predict its behavior and the State of California prohibits this type of law.

The concern for public safety is our priority, so we would support strong vicious dog ordinances, effective dog licensing programs, affordable spay/neuter and training programs, bite prevention classes in our schools and for public workers, and educational outreach for dog owners that teach good pet care.

Many avenues are available to keep our communities safe and humane and the Pasadena Humane Society encourages cities to use the thoughtful and effective methods at their disposal.

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Reporting Animal Abuse
Monday, October 15^th, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Most of us working in animal welfare and animal control have at least one memory that reminds us why we are animal advocates. A recent abuse case has made an indelible impression on many of our staff.

This month an animal cruelty case was heard in the courts of Pasadena. The surveillance video evidence of vicious abuse was so powerful that the defendant changed his plea to no contest once the jury had seen it.

The case involved a 14-month-old German shepherd that was shot and then beaten to death with a hammer by the neighbor who had climbed over the fence into the yard. The abuser has been sentenced to 1 year in jail for a vicious crime—no possibility of parole—3 years probation and 10 years of no contact with animals.

Our animal control officers were involved from the beginning and they were responsible for collecting the evidence, including DNA samples that resulted in this felony conviction.

Violence against animals can evolve to violence toward humans. Our officers are trained professionals who thoroughly investigate each report of possible animal neglect and cruelty. But they need your help!

Please report any suspicion you have of cruelty to animals—you will make a difference! Use our website pasadenahumane.org or call us at 626.792.7151 ext 102.

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Connecting with PHS
Thursday, February 14, 2013
By: Steve McNall

Aggressive Spay/Neuter
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Breed Specific Legislation
Friday, November 9, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Reporting Animal Abuse
Monday, October 15, 2012
By: Steve McNall

PHS to Start Dog License Services for South Pasadena on October 1st
Thursday, September 20, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Benefits of a Dog License
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
By:

Look At Us Now
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Let the Digging Begin
Thursday, June 21, 2012
By: Steve McNall

New Beginnings
Thursday, May 10, 2012
By: Steve McNall

Take Action Against Animal Cruelty
Monday, April 16, 2012
By: Steve McNall

The "Hayden Law"
Monday, February 13, 2012
By: Steve McNall