Pet Place Dog Adoption Pays a Visit to San Clemente

Pacific Plaza went to the dogs for a morning of dog adoptions at the Unleashed by Petco store off Avenida Pico.

The sound of barks ranging in pitch could be heard outside the Unleashed by Petco store in the Plaza Pacifica shopping center Saturday morning. An adorable, outgoing six-year-old bulldog/boxer named Pirate was standing guard with tail wagging and a smile equipped with a large, pink tongue ready to lick the next passerby. 

Pet Place International, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing dogs, cats and horses, paid a monthly visit to the store to encourage adoption of shelter dogs who just escaped euthanization.

The mixed breed dogs could be seen (and heard) throughout the parking lot happily making their presence known with a lick and bark to friendly strangers passing through.

The group works with city shelters to make the adoptions affordable, Pet Place volunteer Joan Grandizio explained.

"The dogs come with shots, are microchipped and if they are not spayed or neutered, they received that treatment as well," she said.

The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation was founded in 2008 by Actress Katherine Heigl and her mother Nancy in memory of their brother and son, 15-year-old Jason, who died in a car accident in 1986. The foundation is dedicated to animal welfare and supports non-profit animal rescues like this one.

Grandizio and her partner Jeff Boaz have adopted out over 200 dogs they rescued from kill shelters this year.

"The South Central Los Angeles shelter receives 150 strays a week alone," said Grandizio. "We love doing this, it's very rewarding, but emotionally it's hard because we have to attach and detach ourselves from the dog when they are adopted."

Grandizio and Boaz have already managed to keep five dogs while adopting out several hundred this year. The couple are currently working on a foster program to get the community more involved and encourage more adoptions.

"Once these dogs learn how to bond and trust, their personality just blossoms, which is so rewarding," Grandizio said. "People need to commit and give them time."

Dogs of mainly mixed breeds—some rescued from a South Central Los Angeles shelter and others recovered from veterinarians—barked, played and reveled in the much-wanted attention they attracted.

"I love working with adoption groups and getting these animals rescued," said Unleashed by Petco's Dog and Cat Manager Norma Bran. "I love my job and am very happy that Petco is all about adoption first and I'm happy to be a part of that."

Although Unleashed by Petco does not house any live animals, they hold dog adoptions every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Read the full article at: https://patch.com/california/sanclemente/pet-place-international-inc-dog-adoption-pays-a-visit465d17e4d5