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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


LA Animal Services Media Contacts: 

Agnes Sibal-von Debschitz, (213) 482-9512 or agnes.sibal@lacity.org

Justin Khosrowabadi, (213) 482-9551 or justin.khosrowabadi@lacity.org

National Playgroup Rockstars Adoption Event

Highlighting Super Social Dogs at Animal Shelters,

including LA Animal Services, in Rocktober

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2023 In a unique collaboration, national nonprofit organization Petco Love is teaming up with Dogs Playing for Life and BOBS from Skechers™ for National Playgroup Rockstars Adoption events at 30+ animal shelters across the country, including LA Animal Services on October 7th, to kick off Rocktober. The adoption events will highlight social dogs, “Playgroup Rockstars,” at animal shelters while they are playing harmoniously in groups, so potential adopters can see their personalities shine.


There are 39 animal shelters across the country participating in National Playgroup Rockstars Adoption events on Saturday, October 7 including the East Valley Animal Services Center located at 14409 Vanowen St., Van Nuys, CA 91405, from 11am to 5pm. For those interested in adopting a Rockstar dog, adoption fees will be waived. Media is invited to attend a ‘meet and greet’ from 8 to 11am to interview representatives and see these dogs play.


This one-of-a-kind adoption event is designed to find loving homes for these amazing dogs while promoting the importance of playgroups. Dogs Playing for Life created the unique playgroup shelter dog enrichment program operating with the simple philosophy of “Every Dog, Every Day, Let Them Play!” Their goal – to ensure shelter pets’ positively experience life at an animal shelter, while providing shelter staff the information needed to help those pets find new loving homes.


For people who already have dogs, the Playgroup Rockstars Adoption Event allows you to see these dogs in action and find that perfect match for your existing pet. For those considering adopting two dogs, the teams on the ground can help you find the perfect pair.


“The National Playgroup Rockstars event is a fantastic way to showcase some of our bigger dogs that have a harder time getting adopted, and to showcase the difference that our volunteers, and partner organizations make in the lives of the animals entrusted to our care in their journey to find new homes,” said Staycee Dains, General Manager for LA Animal Services. 


LA Animal Services is a municipal shelter system that consists of six locations serving LA City residents. In addition to providing animals for adoption and foster, LA Animal Services offers spay/neuter resources, programs to assist with keeping pets during financial hardships, volunteer opportunities, and resources for pet owners to enrich the lives of their furry friends.


“Petco Love is so proud to showcase the incredible impact of playgroups on the lives of shelter dogs,” said Petco Love President, Susanne Kogut. “Any pet parent who has more than one dog can tell you that dogs love to play together. Witnessing this play is not only enjoyable for the pet parent but highly beneficial physically and mentally for the dogs. We look forward to celebrating the bonds formed between these Playgroup Rockstars and their new families.”


Dogs Playing for Life programming takes place at more than 300 shelters across the U.S. The founder, Aimee Sadler, began developing the program in 1998, when she observed that large dogs at shelters often never left their kennel due to staffing and volunteer limitations. The nonprofit organization trains animal shelter staff how to assess dogs properly to enable them to run large dog playgroups as a normal part of shelter life. “Events like Playgroup Rockstars allow dogs to have fun with each other and showcase their playful nature and true personalities. When people visit the shelter and see the dogs in action, they can better picture these dogs as part of their family,” said Sadler. 



For a list of shelters hosting Playgroup Rockstars Adoption Events on October 7th, and for more information on the events, visit PlaygroupRockstars.com, and to view pets available for adoption, go to LAAnimalServices.com.



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LA Animal Services promotes and protects the health, safety, and welfare of animals and the people who love them, and is one of the largest municipal shelter systems in the United States. With six Centers across the City, LA Animal Services serves approximately 60,000 animals annually and responds to 20,000 emergency calls involving animals or people in danger. LA Animal Services is part of the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) international coalition, which connects municipal shelters and animal welfare organizations across the country to reimagine and transform the way shelters care for animals and their families, by offering access to resources to help keep families together; getting lost pets home quickly without having to enter the shelter system; providing food and medical assistance; and continuing to build on a strong adoption and foster program so pets find their permanent homes or are placed in foster care. Visit our link.tree for helpful links to the services and resources available to you and your companion animals. Connect with LA Animal Services and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

LA Animal Services | 888-452-7381 | LAAnimalServices.com