Pets

Troy and Minnie are a beagle mix. They are about 2 years old and we think they are siblings. They are just the most affectionate, sweet dogs. They get along with everyone and are housebroken. Troy and Minnie are harder to place because we are trying to find them a home together. They have been together their whole lives and are very attached to each other. When walking, they are calm and sweet with everyone they meet. They pick up sticks and things they find on the street to play with.

Pampered Pets Day Spa, an upscale, professional dog and cat grooming & boarding day and overnight spa, opened on April 5 at its elegant facility located at 2508 East Chapman and Yorba Avenues, in the Ralphs Shopping Center near the 55 Freeway in Orange. Pampered Pets Day Spa is a 2,000-square-foot facility that caters to dog and cat owners who are looking for a quality, professional environment for their pets. It offers aromatherapy grooming services, medicated bathing, massage therapy, unique canine and feline wearing apparel, luxurious bedding and fine jewelry.

MICHELE MARR On one of the first few days of January, I was drawn into a "Pardon My Planet" single-panel cartoon -- not a comic I read as a rule in the Los Angeles Times. It was a scruffy white cat, lying with clear satisfaction, on the back of a pen-and-ink sofa in the panel that got my attention; he could very well have been our cat Wayne. The cartoon shows a small family sitting dead-center on a couch, Dad in the middle with his left arm around Mom and right arm around Junior.

Pets are likely to be healthy when they are cleaned and well groomed. It is important to realize that dogs and cats are not wild animals; they need regular grooming to maintain a healthy pet and a healthy household. Grooming your pets simply means making sure your pet is in good health and doesn't get diseases or pass them on. Deb's Pet Grooming store in Huntington Beach is a friendly and comfortable place for your pets to get cleaned and pampered. It has been serving Huntington Beach for the past seven years, and has been successful due to its warm, friendly and excellent customer service.

With all animal shelters and rescues busting at the seams with cats and dogs, it’s the time of year to give the gift of love and hope. The overpopulation is due to breeding, puppy mills, no laws mandating neutering and spaying, and plain old ignorance and neglect. Visit local shelters and rescues. About 40% of dogs are pure breed. The Orange County Humane Society at 21632 Newland St., a quarter-mile from Pacific Coast Highway, is open daily. There is no sign for the shelter, but it is behind the animal hospital and filled with loving cats, dogs and bunnies waiting for a home.

June is Adopt A Shelter Cat Month, when shelter populations of kittens as well as adult cats tend to peak. The Orange County Humane Society is no exception, with about 35 felines currently in residence. Sweet little Alex, pictured here, is among a dozen kittens of varying ages and breeds. He is just 3 months old and, like most of his kennel mates, was found as a stray. Before adopting one of these lively animals, you will want to consider whether your home is kitten-friendly and you are prepared to provide the care needed.

She Rocks Fitness will host the "Burpees for Bow Wows Challenge" event on Saturday to raise money for a pet rescue group in Mission Viejo. Members from the all-female fitness boot camp based in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley will try to do as many burpees — an exercise that involves squats and planking — in a span of 10 minutes to help the Pet Rescue Center. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the green space next to She Rocks Fitness' location in Fountain Valley at 8598 Warner Ave. There will be dogs available for adoption, raffle prizes and a fitness demo for dogs.