The Amanda Foundation is calling all Los Angeles creatives and content creators with a passion for pets to attend the “Barks and Bagels” event on Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at the shelter. The goal is to encourage the creators to use their talents to help capture the uniqueness of each of the Amanda Foundation animals in hopes of finding them a home. As the name implies, the event will offer free bagels and a chance for attendees to interact with animals at the shelter.
“I’m hoping people can use their artistry, their innovation, to show the critters in a different light; maybe something with fun music behind it, or at different angles, or with different types of photography than I would do,” said founder Teri Austin. Austin takes a majority of the photos displayed on the Amanda Foundation’s website and Instagram.
“People can give their time and talent, and it doesn’t have to be a lot of time. We’re so lucky where we are in beautiful Beverly Hills. We have some great backdrops. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to take some great photographs,” Austin explained.
The event encourages participants to use their talents to create engaging content on their platforms and increase visibility for the organization’s animals.
“You might not be able to adopt an animal or have any money to help us with our programs, but you might be able to help us by getting our furry faces out there.” Austin hopes using innovative ways to promote the foundation’s animals would be helpful, especially at a time when all across LA, pet adoptions are down.
Shelters across Los Angeles are suffering from occupancy overload, leaving animals in cramped conditions. The Amanda Foundation rescues animals from LA city and county shelters that suffer from overcrowding, “from poodles to pit bulls,” Austin told the Courier. At any given time, the Amanda Foundation shelters 60-70 animals.
According to LA Animal Services, local shelters are at 150% capacity, making the need for rescue and adoption more urgent. Austin hopes the Amanda Foundation’s Sunday event can encourage more households to adopt.
Situated on North Foothill Boulevard, the Amanda Foundation is surrounded by industries filled with young professionals, whom Austin says visit during their breaks. Austin hopes they can use their talents in graphic design platforms like Adobe or proficiency in various social media outlets to help the Amanda Foundation achieve its mission.
Forty years ago, the Amanda Foundation started solely as a rescue shelter with a goal to reduce euthanasia at shelters. To alleviate overcrowding, rescue shelters sometimes look to euthanizing their animals as a solution to make more space.
“We focus on pets we feel the public has overlooked because they’re ill, injured, shy, or have been abused,” said Austin. “However, that is not the majority of animals in the shelter. The majority of animals we rescue are young, healthy and looking for new homes.”
In addition to maintaining a rescue shelter, the Amanda Foundation operates a full-service veterinary hospital—the only nonprofit in Los Angeles that does so—called Dr. Shipp’s Animal Hospital. The hospital offers primary, preventative, and advanced care as well as preventative and diagnostic dental services. Dr. Shipp’s Animal Hospital is also guided by the Amanda Foundation’s community-centered mission.
In addition to serving the Beverly Hills community, the Amanda Foundation has been operating its Spaymobile, which offers free spay/neuter procedures and vaccinations to underserved and low-income neighborhoods, for nearly 20 years. The Spaymobile also partners with LA shelters to make their animals ready for adoption.
At the root of the organization’s services is its mission to holistically tackle pet homelessness.
“We want to change how people think of animal shelters,” said Austin. The organization emphasizes its independent funding and neighborly approach to its services.
The Amanda Foundation is also slated to undergo renovation to improve the shelter experience for both its animals and visitors.
New facilities include a heated and cooled kennel for animals, improved noise control, and additional air filtration systems. The organization plans to offer seminars for current and prospective pet owners with the information necessary to keep their pets healthy and happy. While the Amanda Foundation is not expanding the number of animals it rescues and shelters, the organization hopes to leave lasting impressions on visitors and encourage them to adopt. The renovation will be led by the Colorado-based architectural firm Animal Arts, which specializes in servicing veterinary hospitals.
“We want to be the best in the country,” said Austin. “We’re not a dog pound.”
The upcoming Barks and Bagels event is one of many steps the Amanda Foundation is taking to achieve its goal of making sure no animal is left behind.
