Pups 'N' Purrz to host second Spring Fling adoption event

(Originally published in the 3/16/16 edition)

   After a week of rain and cold weather, spring finally appears to be in the air. Why not celebrate the start of the season by adopting a new animal friend?

   Pups ’N’ Purrz will be teaming up with frequent partners Umbrella of Hope for its second Spring Fling Adopt-a-Pet event Saturday. The Pittsburg-based animal rescue organization has had three events with the First Street pet supply store this year, and Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long said last year’s Spring Fling was quite successful.

   “About five or six animals got adopted,” he said.

   Both cats and dogs will be available to adopt, and all adoptions are going to be $20 to coincide with the spring equinox falling on Sunday, March 20. Long says this time of year is as good as any for people to pick up a new furry friend.

   “It’s time to get the adoptions going again and get the kennels empty,” he said. 

   Long is pleased that the store continues to do work with Umbrella of Hope.

   “This is the third time they’re coming out this year, and it’s been a success every time they’ve been out here,” he said. “People are coming out and helping them and helping the community.”

   The Spring Fling Adopt-a-Pet will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 19 at Pups ’N’ Purrz, located at 422 First St. For more information, call the store at 748-7433.

True 'puppy love" to be celebrated at adoption event Saturday

(Originally published in the 2/9/16 edition)

   This Valentine’s weekend, you will have the opportunity to bring home a cuddly critter. No, not a teddy bear. It is something better: a living, breathing dog.

   Pittsburg-based animal rescue organization Umbrella of Hope will be partnering with Benicia pet store Pups ’N’ Purrz for its Valentine’s-themed adoption event “Love is All You Need” Saturday.

   Umbrella of Hope and Pups ’N’ Purrz have hosted several events over the years, although Pups ’N’ Purrz Owner James Long says the organization did not come by the store as much last year because of the weather.

   “Now that the weather’s getting a little bit better, in January I asked them ‘When are you guys coming out in February?’” he said. ‘They said ‘How does Feb. 13 work,’ and I said ‘That works fine for me. It’s a Valentine’s weekend.’”

   In honor of Valentine’s Day, all dogs will be available to adopt for $14. Long also says that those who adopt dogs at this event will get a 10 percent discount off their first purchase. 

   Long ultimately hopes that people walk away with a new friend ahead of Valentine’s Day.

   “Hopefully, people will come out and find their new love for Valentine’s Day,” he said. “February is the month of love, and I’m trying to promote Valentine’s Day as well as I can for pet owners. Why can’t humans celebrate Valentine’s Day with their animals?”

   The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13. Pups ’N’ Purrz is located at 422 First St. For more information, call the store at 748-7433.

Five dogs find new homes at Pups 'N' Purrz event

(Originally published in the 12/23/15 edition)

   People packed Pups ’N’ Purrz for the pet supply store’s last adoption event of the year Saturday. 

   The store partnered with Pittsburg-based animal rescue organization Umbrella of Hope. The organization was aiming to adopt out a minimum of four pets to reach its 275 mark for the year, but five dogs ended up being adopted.

   The animals who found new homes this weekend were 5-year-old poodle/schnauzer mix Diego, 1-year-old chihuahua Gertrude, 4-year-old chihuahua Aura, 8-year-old schnauzer/Jack Russell/Tibetan terrier mix and Raphael and 16-year-old chihuahua Cybele. 

   Cybele’s adoption was particularly emotional for Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long, himself an owner of three senior-aged chihuahuas.

   “When that dog got adopted, I welted up a little bit,” he said. “I was happy to see that somebody adopted a dog that was that old.”

   Long was very pleased with the results, noting that neighboring businesses told him they were receiving more customers than usual. He also believes that the people who adopted the dogs were not just picking them up as Christmas gifts as none of them had children.

   “For them, this is a pet they’re going to have, not just like a Christmas gift,” Long said. “It’s an animal they wanted to adopt.” 

   Pups ’N’ Purrz will be hosting two more adoption events in January. The first will be with Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, and the second will be another Umbrella of Hope event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9. Pups ’N’ Purrz is located at 44 First St. For more information, contact (707) 748-7433.

Cybele, a 16-year-old chihuahua was one of five dogs adopted over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of James Long)

Pups 'N' Purrz partners with Umbrella of Hope to host last adoption event of 2015

(Originally published in the 12/18/15 edition)

   Those looking to get someone a new a dog for Christmas will have a chance this Saturday when they visit Pups ’N’ Purrz.

   Umbrella of Hope, an animal rescue organization out of Pittsburg, will be holding its last adoption event at the store for the year. The organization has been doing events at Pups ’N’ Purrz since 2013 and has adopted out 46 animals at the store in that time.

   Throughout 2015, Umbrella of Hope has had 271 animals adopted out at various locations. If just four dogs are adopted on Saturday, the organization will have hit the 275 mark.

   Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long feels that animals taken in by Umbrella of Hope are in good hands.

   “All their rescues are not in shelters,” he said. “They’re actually being fostered by foster people until they can find the right homes. That way, when somebody adopts the animal, the foster is here and they can tell the people about the demeanor of the animal.”

   With this being the last weekend of the year for adoptions, Long believes now is the time for people to pick up the furry friend they have always wanted.

   “This will be the best chance to pick up the animal that their kids or they want for Christmas,” he said. “The rescue group does a really good job with the rescues, so it’s almost hand in hand.”

   The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19 at Pups ’N’ Purrz, located at 44 First St. All adoption fees will be waived. For more information, contact (707) 748-7433.

Furry friends find new homes at weekend's pet adoptions

   (Originally published in the 11/11/15 edition)

Pups ’N' Purrz held its 3rd annual Adoption Day By the Bay over the weekend, and the store was able to find homes for several different pets.

   The First Street pet supply store partnered with other Bay Area adoption agencies- Umbrella of Hope, CARES and Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation- to adopt out dogs and cats. The event expanded to two days, which meant more opportunities for people to pick up a new friend.

   On Saturday, four chihuahuas were adopted: 5-year-old Fiona Apple, 5-year-old Jersey Mac, 8-year-old Megladon and 7-year-old Fuji Apple. 

   Sunday, however, was a day for the cats. Crush and Fanta, both 7 months old, found new homes where they will be able to continue their young lives with loving families.

   “It was a great turnout for both days,” Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long said. “Some people were looking for certain animals, and the agencies that didn’t have them on Saturday had them on Sunday, so I think expanding to two days helped.”

   The next adoption event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday Dec. 6 at ARF, located at 2890 Mitchell Drive in Walnut Creek. Additionally, Umbrella of Hope will be holding an adoption event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19. The agency is located at 4080 Railroad Avenue, Suite C, in Pittsburg. Pups ’N’ Purrz is located at 422 First St. 

Pet adoptions expand to two days for Pups 'N' Purrz event

   Pups ’N’ Purrz will be holding its 3rd annual Adoption Day By the Bay, where people can pick up a new dog or cat from various animal rescue agencies at the store. The difference this year is that there will be more days to take a furry friend home.

   In past years, the event had been limited to just one day. James Long, the owner of Pups ’N’ Purrz says this caused spatial problems for the store.

   “There are so many groups that want to come out and support the community,” he said. “I realized that last year when I had two groups in front, one group that was next to the garden and another group that was in the back parking lot outside.”

   Long talked to his wife, Karen Baltier-Long, about what they should do to better accommodate the groups.

   “She said ‘When you do it this year, let’s just do a weekend event on Saturday and Sunday,’” Long said.

   The days may have changed, but the core of the event is the same as the previous two years: giving older animals a chance to find new homes by partnering with different groups.

   Long says he was inspired by Dogs Day By the Bay, an event held by the city in 2010 and 2011 at the green by the downtown waterfront.

   “For some reason, they decided not to do it anymore, so I took that idea and decided to do Adoption Day By the Bay,” he said.

   In 2013, Long got into contact with various Bay Area adoption agencies about the possibility of adopting animals out of his store.

   “I said ‘This is a dog friendly town. Would you be willing to come to the store and do either a monthly or bi-monthly adoption event in front of my store?’” he said. “They came by to check out what it was like on weekends, and they noticed there were a lot of people walking up and down the street, so I’ve been working with a lot of the rescue groups ever since.”

   This year, Pups ’N’ Purrz will be partnering with three dog and cat rescue foundations: Umbrella of Hope out of Pittsburg, CARES out of Vallejo and Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation out of Walnut Creek.

   “It’s a thank you to the community and rescue groups for coming out and supporting my store,” he said. 

   The dogs sold are mostly small or medium breeds and generally tend to be older. Long himself happens to own three senior chihuahuas: Molly, 11; Layla, 9; and Margo, 13. 

   “People don’t want to adopt senior dogs because of their age and health,” he said. 

   Therefore, Long said he is a firm believer in helping senior dogs find homes.

   Ultimately, Long believes that pets finding homes will not only benefit the animals but also their new owners.

   “It’s like a companion,” he said. “You go to work, you come home, there’s somebody to greet you at the door and give you all the love and support.”

   Adoption by the Bay will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Pups ’N’ Purrz, located at 422 First St. Umbrella of Hope will be adopting out cats and dogs in the store from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that Saturday, and CARES will be there from 2 to 5 p.m. ARF will be at the store from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday with a mobile van containing smaller dogs, adult cats and kittens. People who adopt a dog or cat on those days will get a 10 percent discount off their first purchase.