Where Can You Adopt a Pet in North Hollywood & Toluca Lake?

You've researched what type of pet would be the best match for your lifestyle, read up on training, pet-proofed your home, even tossed around a few name ideas. Your schedule for the next few weeks is open. You are ready to adopt a pet!

In North Hollywood and Toluca Lake we have many wonderful shelters, humane societies, and pet rescue organizations nearby. You can see thousands of pets on pet adoption websites. But before you click on that irresistible furry face in the search results, do you know what is the best type of pet adoption organization for you? Here's a brief summary to help you decide:

1. Animal Shelter

Yes, city shelters are "the pound," but get that depressing and dated Lady & The Tramp image out of your mind! Our local East Valley shelter is a high-volume and "open door" shelter, which does mean as more pets come in than get adopted or found, they put animals to sleep to make room. While that fact is depressing, the shelter facility itself is bright, clean, and inviting, and the pets are ever optimistic that they'll be one of the lucky ones -- that they'll be adopted by someone like you!

Before you adopt from a city shelter, understand that most of their pets will have an unknown history. Bring your entire family and spend plenty of time with the pet you want to adopt in the socialization room or yard. East Valley has volunteers that help, but there is no formal screening process -- it is up to you to select your pet. Be prepared for learning about your pet when you bring him or her home, possibly working with a trainer or adoption-experienced friend to help you through the normal adjustment of a new pet in a new home, especially if you have other pets or children. Also, take your new pet to your vet for a full checkup and know you may have to help them get through a common shelter cold.

When you adopt a city shelter pet, you are a homeless pet hero!

For North Hollywood and Toluca Lake, our shelter is: Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) East Valley, 14409 Vanowen St, Van Nuys. Open Tuesday to Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. East Valley used to be on Sherman Way. It moved to a gorgeous new facility in 2007. They have 165 dog kennels, with one to four or more dogs in each kennel, plus dozens of cat kennels and four community (multi-cat) rooms. Adoption fees range from $35 to $122.

Also nearby is the Burbank Animal Shelter, 1150 North Victory Place, Burbank. (818) 238-3340. Open Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 11am - 3pm.

2. SPCA or Humane Society

Did you know that Humane Society and SPCA are just descriptive words -- like the word 'bank' is in US Bank and Bank of America. They are not in any way connected to each other. The same is true of humane societies and SPCA's. It can be confusing! Many people even mistakenly think that the Humane Society of the United States runs all humane societies. They do not! They do help animals through legislation and in disasters, but do not have a shelter themselves.

Some humane societies are "limited admission" -- like the Glendale Humane Society. That means they do not have to euthanize animals to make room. Others, like the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, are "open door" with animal control contracts, so they do euthanize to make room. Aside from if that makes your heart ache when you visit, it may affect how much they know about their pets. Limited admission organizations often have their animals for many months, and use foster homes. Many "open door" humane societies run programs that have helped reduce pet overpopulation in the cities they serve, so they may have the pets for many weeks, and know more about their behavior and health than a city shelter. Their adoption fees vary greatly, from $20 to $325.

3. Rescue

A rescue can be a private citizen or a non-profit organization. They vary as much as stores vary from one to another! Rescues are "limited admission" and use foster homes or boarding kennels. Because they pour so much time, love and money into their pets, their adoption fees generally range from $150 to $350, still a good deal considering all the vet care included. They will have you fill out an adoption application, conduct a phone or in-person interview, and ask to visit your home to evaluate it for the safety of the particular pet you're interested in adopting. That may sound like a lot, but in return you get a lot -- you typically get a pet who's behavior and medical history is well-known, after-adoption support with training, and a solid return policy should the pet surprise everyone and not be a match for your home. But since each rescue is so different, make sure to ask about their policies.

Here are rescues located or with fostered pets in North Hollywood & Toluca Lake:

• Insight Animal Rescue
• Forgotten Animals of Los Angeles
• Almost Home Animal Rescue
• Animal Rescue, Media & Education
• 4 Pawed Dog Rescue Incorporated
• The Rescue Train
• Molly's Mutts & Meows

You can find many more local rescues in neighboring communities at http://www.adoptapet.com/animal-shelters and you can use a website like Adopt-a-Pet.com to search for pets for adoption at all these types of organizations using a mile radius from your zip code, and your desired breed, gender, size and even color. And since you now have a better understanding of the differences between the types of adoption organizations and know what to expect, you'll have a better experience adopting your new pet!

March 2012 local adoption fairs:

Sunday March 11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Le Pet Affair adoption event
Sherman Oaks Rec Center, 14201 Huston St, Sherman Oaks

Friday March 16, 5-8 p.m.
Noho Food Truck Fest with rescue pet adoptions
11452 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood (just west of Lankershim)

Sunday March 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
LAAS Moorpark Park Mobile Pet Adoption fair
Studio City (at Moorpark Blvd & Laurel Canyon Blvd)