For local nonprofit Fix Long Beach, saving animals and helping reduce the number of pets in shelters has been the ultimate goal since its founding in 2013.
The organization, as the name implies, offers free spay and neutering services to folks who may not normally be able to afford it, according to its website.
Fix Long Beach has helped spay and neuter more than 12,000 pets since it was founded, the website said, and has found homes for hundreds of cats and dogs in that time.
But Fix Long Beach’s mission to save animals doesn’t stop there — and now, they’ve joined onto a new effort to help protect dogs from a deadly virus.
The nationwide campaign, dubbed “Defend Puppies. Defeat Parvo,” was launched by pharmaceutical company Elanco on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
The effort aims to save one million dogs from the parvovirus — a canine disease with serious side effects and an especially high mortality rate in puppies — by 2030.
Elanco is hoping to help educate pet owners about the dangers of parvo through the campaign, while increasing veterinarians’ access to the company’s parvo treatment.
Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody, Elcano’s treatment for the disease which is the first and only to gain U.S. Department of Agriculture approval, according to a recent press release, has been shown to help shorten the course of disease caused by parvo.
“Parvo doesn’t have to be a death sentence,” the company’s technical veterinarian Jennifer Miller said in the press release. “(The drug) is redefining how we treat the disease, but we can’t defeat parvo alone. We’re calling all veterinarians and dog lovers to join our mission and help us save more dogs, more quickly.”
Elanco is partnering with veterinarians and animal-advocacy organizations across the nation, including Fix Long Beach, PAWS Chicago and Austin Pets Alive!, to create a “Parvo Defenders Task Force,” aimed at spreading awareness about prevention and treatment of the disease.
As a task force member, Fix Long Beach will serve among other organizations as advisors and collaborators with Elanco to resolve pain points associated with diagnosing and treating parvovirus.
Fix Long Beach also has a parvo intensive care team that provides personalized care and treatment for dogs with parvovirus.
The organization’s brick-and-mortar clinic is located at 1749 Magnolia Ave.
For more information on Fix Long Beach, visit their website fixlongbeachpets.com.
“Sock it to ’em” sock drive for the homeless
From now until Jan. 31, Justin Rudd and his Community Action Team will collect new pairs of socks to donate to men, women and children who are unhoused.
This year marks the 22nd iteration of the Community Action Team’s sock drive for people experiencing homelessness.
The organization’s “No More Cold Feet” mission this year aims to collect 20,000 pairs of socks, which will be distributed to various agencies in Long Beach.
Men’s black crew socks are the most requested for donations.
Residents of Long Beach are encouraged to become host committees.
Host committees must commit to collecting 400 or more pairs of socks and deliver them to Justin Rudd by Jan. 31.
To be on the host committee, email Justin@JustinRudd.com directly.
Community registries for the sock drive can be found at JustinRudd.com/target and JustinRudd.com/amazon.
For more information, visit justinrudd.com.
