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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