Pasadena Humane Previews Fee-Free Adoption Day With Summer Heat-Safety Event

Pasadena Humane is using a “Puppy Pool Party” heat-safety event Tuesday at 10 a.m. to preview its second Free Adoption Day of the summer.

The event, at the shelter at 361 S. Raymond Ave., gives a preview of dogs available for adoption and leads into Free Adoption Day on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shelter says adoption fees will be waived that day for all available dogs, cats and critters, with support from the Pet Care Foundation and The Georgia B. Ridder Foundation.

The timing is deliberate.

“This event comes at an especially important time for us, as we are still in the height of kitten season,” said Chris Ramon, president and CEO of Pasadena Humane. “Summer is one of our busiest times, and every adoption makes a real difference. When a pet goes home with a loving family, it not only changes that animal’s life, but also creates space and resources so we can help the next pet in need.”

Summer heat also poses risks to pets, the shelter said. In guidance issued this month, Pasadena Humane said pets, like people, are vulnerable to heat stroke, and it urged owners to provide plenty of cool water, noting that ice cubes can keep water cooler longer. On hot days, the shelter advised, owners should keep animals off pavement that can burn paw pads, and trade long outdoor games for low-exertion indoor activity such as treat dispensers or food puzzles.

If a walk is necessary, the shelter said, it should come in the early morning or after sundown, when temperatures are coolest. The guidance also urged owners to give pets access to cool surfaces such as tile or cooling mats — and to never leave an animal in a hot car, even for a moment. The shelter has paired pools with puppies before to draw attention to the season’s dangers, according to earlier reporting on a similar event.

Animals adopted from Pasadena Humane are spayed or neutered, microchipped and given age-appropriate vaccines, the shelter said. Adoptions Saturday will be first-come, first-served, and standard screening applies. A licensing fee may apply, and the shelter asks that families leave their own pets at home.

Pasadena Humane provides animal care and control across a service area that includes Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia and Glendale, among other communities, and cares for animals from contract cities and partner shelters throughout the Los Angeles area. The shelter frames Saturday’s waiver as a way to move animals into homes and open space during a stretch it calls one of its busiest.

Available pets can be viewed at pasadenahumane.org, and the shelter can be reached at 626-792-7151.