Tag: pets

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Wednesday, March 27, the city of West Hollywood’s Picasso Pets event will kick off with the swearing-in of the city’s honorary Pet Mayor, Winnie Erickson, on Saturday, April 6 at 11 a.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

The free event will provide an opportunity for pet parents to meet Winnie, participate in pet-friendly activities, and receive event souvenirs while supplies last. The pet caricature portrait activity has reached capacity for the event, but pet parents are encouraged to partake in other activities at the event.

Pets must always remain leashed and under the control of their human. If it rains, the event will be moved indoors to the Doheny Room located on the second floor of the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center (which is adjacent to the surface level of West Hollywood Park).

The City’s Pet Mayor is a program approved by the West Hollywood City Council in 2022. As part of the program, the City’s Mayor may choose to have their pet (dog, cat, or another animal companion) serve as the Pet Mayor during their mayoral term. The City’s Pet Mayor Program intends to enhance support for the West Hollywood community’s animals and animal guardians and help bring awareness to the City’s ongoing efforts and initiatives focused on animal welfare.

The Pet Mayor will be tasked with attending appropriate meetings and events, which may include attending fundraisers in support of animal rescue organizations, visiting dog-friendly establishments in West Hollywood, and other forms of community engagement.

Winnie, the beloved four-legged incoming Pet Mayor found her home with Mayor John M. Erickson when she was adopted from Wags and Walks. Winnie is 9 years old.

West Hollywood has been focused on animal rights and protections for decades and the city’s commitment to animal rights is one of its legacies. The city has consistently worked to enact leading-edge animal welfare legislation.

In 1989, the West Hollywood City Council passed Resolution 558 making West Hollywood a “Cruelty-Free Zone” for animals. This action was then followed by West Hollywood’s move to secure animal care service policies that included a no-kill policy for stray and abandoned animals. West Hollywood focused its efforts on raising awareness about the availability of thousands of abandoned animals at shelters waiting to be adopted, even sponsoring local adoption fairs at City parks — a tradition that continues to this day.

For more details about West Hollywood’s Pet Mayor contact Jennifer Del Toro, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor, at (323) 848-6549 or at jdeltoro@weho.org. For information about Picasso Pets, call (323) 848-6534 or email recreation@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—West Hollywood’s Recreation Services Division will host its first-ever Howl-O-Ween Pet Showcase on Saturday, October 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Great Lawn at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

The city reported on its website Howl-O-Ween highlights will include a parade for pets and their guardians to walk side-by-side and showcase their spooky and funny costumes, and an opportunity to dress with mutt as a doggleganger. Pet guardians are encouraged to dress in costumes. Dogs are required to be on leash for the duration of the event. Entertainment at the event will include music, a pet-friendly bubble zone, pet trick/obstacle course, community groups, and treats.

The event is free to the public no RSVP is needed. Attendees are encouraged to carpool, rideshare, or walk, as barking lot parking at West Hollywood Park is limited.

For more details about West Hollywood’s Howl-O-Ween contact the City’s Recreation Services Division at (323) 848-6534 or at recreation@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY (323) 848-6496.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—The host of the CBS game show, “The Price is Right,” Bob Barker died at his Hollywood Hills home on Saturday, August 26. The host was 99. Barker hosted the series from 1972 to 2007. He previously hosted the game series “Truth or Consequences” for 19 years from 1956 to 1975. Parker was replaced by actor Drew Carey who has hosted the series since Parker’s retirement in 2007.

Robert William Barker was born on December 19, 1923, in Darrington, Washington. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1943 during World War II to train as a fighter pilot but did not go into combat. He worked at KTTS-FM Radio while in college in Springfield, Missouri. He hosted “The Bob Barker Show” for 6 years in Burbank, California.

In September 1999, Barker had surgery for a blocked left carotid artery. He suffered a stroke in May 2002 and suffered several instances of skin cancer. He received stitches after taking a fall at his LA home.

Barker became a comedic icon for his appearance in the Adam Sandler comedy “Happy Gilmore” where he portrayed a foul-mouth golfer who assaulted Adam’s character in the movie. He also made appearances in the TV series “The Nanny” and the CBS soap “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He won a total of 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host for “The Price is Right.” He released his autobiography, “Priceless Memories” in April 2009.

He was married to Dorothy Jo Gideon for 36 years until her death from lung cancer at the age of 57 in 1981. He was an animal activist encouraging the public to get their pets spayed or neutered at the end of each episode of “The Price is Right.” According to reports, Barker died of natural causes. He will be buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city was recognized by Mars Petcare as a Better Cities For Pets™ Certified City for being pet-friendly and for helping to keep people and pets together. The assessment report outlines eight West Hollywood strengths, including:

-Partners across the City of West Hollywood are working together to reduce pet homelessness and get more pets in loving homes;

-A local community cat program is humanely reducing overpopulation and keeping cat colonies vaccinated;

-The City of West Hollywood doesn’t have breed bans or other significant restrictions for pet ownership;

-People in the City of West Hollywood have pet-friendly housing options with minimal restrictions or unreasonable fees;

-Local food banks or animal welfare organizations distribute pet food for families in need;

-The City of West Hollywood’s local emergency preparedness plans include accommodations for and communication about pets;

-The City of West Hollywood has pet-friendly green spaces for people and pets to get healthy exercise and connect with each other;

-There are transportation options in the City of West Hollywood for people who need to get around with their pets.

According to a press release from the city of West Hollywood, the Better Cities For Pets™ Certified City report provides inspiration to help make West Hollywood more pet-friendly in the future including suggestions such as continuing efforts to lead the way on animal welfare and shine a spotlight on pets; continuing its Pet Mayor program; adding signage that makes it easy for pet owners to find pet amenities; making City buildings and facilities pet-friendly to support and demonstrate the benefits of pets at work; and more.

The city has been focused on animal rights movement for decades and the City’s commitment to animal rights is one of its legacies. West Hollywood consistently worked to enact leading-edge animal welfare legislation.

In 1989, the West Hollywood City Council passed Resolution 558 making West Hollywood a “Cruelty-Free Zone” for animals. That was followed by West Hollywood’s move to secure animal care service policies that included a no-kill policy for stray and abandoned animals.

In 2004, the City Council passed an Ordinance to ban the practice of declawing cats, thereby making West Hollywood the first City in North America to ban this procedure.

In 2008, West Hollywood adopted a Resolution supporting Proposition 2, which led to a statewide standard in the caging of chickens; in 2009, the West Hollywood City Council took a stand against puppy-mills and the sale of dogs in local stores that came from such mills.

West Hollywood’s Ordinance prohibiting the sale of fur established that it is “unlawful to sell, offer for sale, display for sale, import, export, trade, or distribute any fur product by any means anywhere within the City of West Hollywood on or after September 21, 2013.” The Ordinance was approved by the West Hollywood City Council in November 2011 and, in August 2015, the Ordinance was amended.

The city invites canine members of the community and their humans to visit two dog parks at West Hollywood Park. A small dog park and large dog park are located on each side of the park’s basketball courts and each area features expanses of open space with shade trees, small mounds and turf terraces, and water stations. In addition, West Hollywood operates the William S. Hart Park and Off-Leash Dog Park located at 8341 De Longpre Avenue.

For more details about Better Cities For Pets™ certification, contact Vyto Adomaitis, West Hollywood’s Neighborhood and Business Safety Manager, at vadomaitis@weho.org or at (323) 848-6531. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.