ABOUT US
 HOW
WE GOT STARTED
The Downtown Dog Rescue was originally founded as a program, within
the non-profit Friends for Animals, to assist the homeless community
of dog owners. It is the only program in California, and possibly
the United States, specifically founded to assist homeless dog owners
spay/neuter, vaccinate, license their dogs, as well as offering
a variety of services including crisis care, for the life of the
dog.
When we began our program over ten years ago, homeless encampments
were all over Downtown Los Angeles, including Skid Row. We began
our program with one homeless man named Benny Josephs, and his beloved
pit bull "Iron Head." Soon Lizzy (our 2007
Calendar dog) came along, and many more dogs, and puppies continued
to pass through Benny's alley gate. At first, my partner Richard
and I made a plan to spay/neuter a few dogs a month, while continuing
to try to find homes for the abandoned puppies and dogs. We always
felt overwhelmed, and it seemed like there was no solution to this
monumental problem. We asked ourselves, could we really make any
type of change in what appeared to be an out of control situation?
The answer was, and still is YES. By approaching the situation as
a series of challenges instead of trying to "fix the problem," we
have spayed/neutered thousands of dogs, and adopted out and assisted
thousands more! To read more about how we got started, and how you
can help, please check out some of the articles that are posted
under PRESS.
 HOW
THE PROGRAM WORKS
Through word of mouth, we met many of Benny's friends, and developed
a network of homeless dog owners and homeless animal activists who
helped us rescue hundreds of dogs and puppies that we have adopted
out. Often it is the homeless person who will not leave the street
without a place for their dog to go. By forming a relationship with
the person, and building trust, so many dogs have come into our
rescue through what I call "the safety net," which is our rescue
ID tag and microchip number that links back to our dog rescue. To
date, hundreds of dogs have been microchipped by our organzition,
as the co-owner of a homeless person's dog. This is so important
because if the dog is ever impounded, we are notified, pay all impound
fees at the animal shelter and make sure the dog is healthy and
safe. If the homeless person in our program can no longer care for
their dog, as in the case of my Pit Bull Petey, we take the dog
into our rescue. There is no time limit on how long we keep the
dog, and no temperament test for the dog to pass in order to come
into our rescue. We accept all breeds, ages, and temperaments. In
order for a homeless person to join our rescue, they must agree
to allow us to sterlize, vaccinate, microchip and license their
dog. We, in turn provide a lifetime of care for the dog, and are
committed to that dog's well being in every way possible. We are
not able to accomplish all that we do without the support of animal
control agencies, homeless outreach workers, mental health care
professionals. We help them help their patients who have dogs, but
live on the streets.
 THE
PROCESS FOR THE DOGS IN OUR PROGRAM
The overwhelming majority of the dogs in our program are Pit bulls
and Pit mixes. It really wasn't until I personally inherited my
first homeless person's pit bull, who was the best dog in the world,
that I came to love this breed. My girl "Pink" was one of the most
difficult dogs that I have ever worked with due to the fact that
she was dog and people aggressive. In fact, she was so aggressive
the first month that I had her, she would not allow any of us to
touch her. Little by little, she gained trust, and I was priveleged
to have this dog in my life for almost three years when she died
of a stroke. Now, I have my second pit bull as a result of a homeless
man passing away and willing his great dog Petey to me, who is also
dog and people aggressive. Again, I am learning more about dog psychology,
and realize that often these "problem dogs" come into our lives
for a very good reason, to teach us. We as humans need to continue
to learn what a dog needs.
 Countless
hours of my time are spent with the dogs. Many of them come to us
never having had an opportunity to play, explore or express canine
behavior in a secure environment. We are fortunate to have a small
kennel where we can let the dogs discover pack dynamics in a controlled
space. Over the course of weeks and months, all of the dogs join
the pack and once they are properly socialized, they are put up
for adoption.
ADOPTING ONE OF OUR DOGS
Our adoption event is held every Saturday from 11-2 at Petco at
845 South Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena. Sandy is our volunteer and
adoption coordinator. If you are interested in adopting one of our
dogs, the first step is to fill out our application. Their is a
link to that form on this site. We will call or e-mail you back,
regadless. Our goal is to match you up with the right dog for your
lifestyle and experience level. We know all of our dogs, and do
not show them until we have evaluated them extensively. Our suggested
adoption donation is $200. When you adopt a dog from us it will
be sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped and dewormed, so our adoption
fee is a bargain! We also offer a discounted group obedience class
taught by one of our volunteers, Lezle Stein (please see the link
to her website on our
LINKS page).
 Each
year we adopt out close to two hundred dogs, mostly pit bulls and
large breed dogs. We take in all breeds and all age dogs, with varying
health histories. While we can't take in every dog, we can help
you if you have rescued a dog and need help placing him/her. If
you are interested in having us help you adopt out your dog, please
e-mail Lori@modernica.net
with a photo and bio on your dog. You may also call our hotline
at 818-407-4145. Like most dog rescues, we are almost always full,
and are limited on how many dogs we can handle at any given time.
SPAY /NEUTER CLINICS
Each year we assist in spaying/neutering over 500 dogs. We achieve
this by hosting clinics targeting areas like South Central, Watts,
and Compton. We host large scale events attracting pit bull and
large breed dog owners. Some of our past event flyers are posted
on our "EVENTS" page. We take our message to the street
and pass out flyers door to door in the immediate areas of the mobile
clinic. Without the Amanda
Foundation team, none of this work would be possible. Our outreach
approach is more than spay/neuter. We have also offered free dog
training, given out dog food and are there to offer advice so that
the dog owner will not take their dog to the shelter, or worse,
and very common, release the dog on to the street. 
IF YOU ARE, OR YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO OWNS A DOG, IS LOW INCOME,
AND NEEDS TO GET THEIR DOG STERILIZED, PLEASE CALL the Amanda Foundation's
mobile clinic 888-349-7388.
OUTREACH
Compassion for animals is caught not taught.
Taking our message to the streets of Los Angeles is the most effective
way we know of to get our messsage out to the very low income or
homeless dog owners who are unaware of any resources for their dog.
One of the most common questions that I am often asked is, "If
a person can't afford to take care of themsleves, why should they
have a dog?"  This
is same thinking I had when I started out, many years ago. Now I
see that those of us who love animals, just love animals. Once that
bond is there, the feeling is as strong in everyone, regardless
of income. A persons financial means is not a reflection of their
willingness or desire to help animals. I am privileged to work with
some of the best volunteers, making it possible for Downtown Dog
Rescue to offer services to dog owners that for whatever reason,
can't afford to care for their dogs. We have that common link, we
love dogs, and that's all that is important. This is the reason
that I founded Downtown Dog Rescue.
If you would like to volunteer or learn more about what we do,
please e-mail me directly at Lori@modernica.net
or call our hotline, and leave a message for Sandy at 818-407-4145.
Thank you for taking an interest in the work that we do!
Lori Weise
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