From the street to security: Long Beach's newest animal rescue knows no borders • Long Beach Post News – Long Beach Post

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Like a good night’s sleep and coffeehouses that aren’t Starbucks, you can’t have enough animal rescues. As of January, Long Beach has gained one more: Ally’s Animal Assistance Network. The nonprofit was founded by Ally Carrier—and can you think of a better name for someone who pulls cats and dogs in horrible shape off the streets and back roads and gives them a reason to live?
Long Beach is the rescue’s hub, but as a network, it spans the California coastal area and Mexico, often connecting with other rescues and organizations that help homeless animals. Ally and the other volunteers locate pets who have been neglected, abused, hit by cars and unceremoniously dumped outdoors. Just Food for Dogs, a fresh-food pet-nutrition company where Ally is employed, fully support her project and offered initial financial sponsorship.
Not surprisingly, Ally is a lifelong animal lover. She comes from a family tradition of bringing home strays and helping them.
“My mom was always helping an animal in need,” she said.
The network itself emerged out of Ally’s own rescues of unfortunate pets. After the successes of posting the animals on social media and finding them homes, she found that she’d also acquired a kinship group of fosters and other rescuers.
“It blossomed into something beautiful,” Ally said. “I have made a lot of connections, and I have a huge support system, which is what you need. Now, we help animals all over Southern California and parts of Baja California.”
A mission to protect anyone from danger or need, human or animal, knows neither physical nor emotional boundaries. Even as Ally continually sees the ongoing need for rescue and education in the local community, she said that there’s far more lack of resources in Mexico, where pet-welfare organizations are fewer than in the United States and the welfare problems are greater.
“I feel a connection to Mexico and the pets—once I saw the need there, I felt a calling,” she said.
“It’s nothing like here. Dogs are basically on the brink of death and don’t have a chance—many are left to die on the streets while people walk by. Sometimes, they lie there for days. I like to hope I can be their one saving grace.”
Ally hopes to go further with her network by initiating a campaign for spay/neuter. For this, the rescue will need more volunteers, and donations would be most welcome so that Ally’s Animal Rescue Network can carry more cats and dogs from the alleys and anywhere else they’re found.
“I would say my objective is to be the change I want to see in the world, one animal at a time,” Ally said. “I believe there is a reason why I am here doing what I do, rescuing and advocating for the voiceless that can’t speak up for themselves. It’s incredibly difficult and can really get you down at times. But nothing beats the feeling of seeing these animals thriving and living their best lives. I am living my passion and I am so thankful to the people that believe in me.”
Virtually pets
Want to help save animals one pet at a time? Or two? Adopt one of the sweethearts on this page or on the rescue’s website. Click the pink adoption button for an adoption application. If you’re interested in fostering, applications are available here.
And, of course, donate or volunteer. You can do that here.
Luke is a 6-year-old adult male. All 33 pounds of him loves all dogs, all people and even cats! Ally’s team suspects he’s a Shiba Inu mix. He’s currently in San Diego with his amazing foster. Feel free to apply to adopt him so you can come to visit him.
Little Shakira is a year old and weighs 22 pounds. She loves people but is wary of males, although not aggressive. She gets along with other dogs, both big and small, and she loves kids! She has a lot of energy and is super-playful, but she’s also an escape artist, so she needs to be in a secure home, both physically and emotionally!
Gala is about 2 years old and weighs 32 pounds. She is waiting for her forever home. She’s friendly with dogs and children. She’s a total sweetheart and has a lot of love to give to whoever takes her home and gives her the love she deserves.
Great furballs of fun!
Long Beach Animal Care Services’ Adoption Waggin’ will roll in, and the volunteers will show you all the wonderful animals aboard.
Pet Supplies Plus pet adoption event: Saturday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Pet Supplies Plus, 2086 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, adoption fees apply.
Long Beach Animal Care Services’ Adoption Waggin’ will roll out to this neat pet-supply store! Choose your cat or dog, and then take them shopping for everything they’ll ever need and then some!
A helping paw

Council District 8 announces 60-day amnesty for new or late pet licensing fees for designated residents
A resolution introduced by Councilman Al Austin and passed by the City Council provides a temporary amnesty program that waives a first-time pet licensing fee and late penalty fee for an expired pet license for residents of Community Development Block Grant-designated areas in Long Beach can apply to an HUD grant program that will waive fees for new and late pet licenses until Aug. 23. Access this map to determine whether you live in a CDBG zone, or call 562-570-1326 or email [email protected].
12 months of pets!
The pet calendars are getting an early start! Enter your own calendar grrrls or purrrrls and help fund rescues and their good works!
Show Us Your Kitties!, Helen Sanders CatPAWS, votes $5 each, reserved days $15 each, closes Aug. 20

 Help Helen Sanders CatPAWS raise money to save cats from public shelters! Submit a photo of your kitty, or vote for your favorite feline in the contest. You can also submit a kitty photo for a special day on the calendar. The top vote winner at the conclusion of the contest will have their choice of month to feature their cat as a pinup pm on the calendar. The next 12 top-vote recipients will become Helen Sanders CatPAWS Calendar Cats for each of the remaining calendar months between January 2023 and January 2024. Up to six runner-up photos after the top 13 vote recipients will be featured with larger photos and name on the front cover! Enter now at this link!
Foster for awhile—or furever!
If you’ve always wanted a pet but aren’t sure if you’re ready for a lifetime (the animal’s) commitment, or if you’re past the pet-roommate days for any reason, fostering might be a great way to go, especially with one or more of the kittens popping up during kitten season. Every one of the organizations listed below is in desperate need of fosters who’ll social them and help save their little lives. Who knows—maybe one of those lives will change your mind about the not-ready-for-roommate thing!
These nonprofits also regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. As of now, adoptions are mainly by appointment. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes. These organizations operate through donations and grants, and anything you can give would be welcome. Please suggest any Long Beach-area rescues to add to the list.
Hyperlocal news is an essential force in our democracy, but it costs money to keep an organization like this one alive, and we can’t rely on advertiser support alone. That’s why we’re asking readers like you to support our independent, fact-based journalism. We know you like it—that’s why you’re here. Help us keep hyperlocal news alive in Long Beach.
Kate Karp
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