Adoption

Amber Willard RANCHO DISTRICT -- More than 100 wild horses and burros gathered from herds in western states will be up for adoption this weekend. The animals will be available for viewing from noon to 5 p.m. Friday and from 7 a.m. Saturday at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive. Bids for the mustangs and burros will be taken from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, with registration at 8 a.m. Those animals not chosen in the morning will be available for adoption later in the day and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Robert Blechl MEDIA CITY CENTER -- The dogs and cats behind the glass at Media City Center Mall aren't just for window shoppers. They're part of a pilot project, "Adopt-A-Pet for the Holidays," which will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23, and from 9 a.m. to noon Christmas Eve. The adoption will operate every day. The program is sponsored by the city of Burbank, the Burbank Jaycees, Media City...

A new year may mean a new start for the critters at the Burbank Animal Shelter. Beginning this weekend, the shelter is expanding hours to be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We have the largest number of visitors on Saturdays and we hope Sunday will do the same for us," said shelter Supt. Brenda Castaneda. Sunday hours were recommended during an audit of the shelter's services two years ago and Castaneda has been working to meet the suggestions. "We will evaluate how Sunday hours have worked in July," Castaneda said.

FLOPSY & MOPSY Flopsy and Mopsy are 8-month-old spayed, short-haired rabbits. They are sisters and are very bonded with each other. These rabbits are sweet and well socialized. They entertain each other all day, making them an excellent adoption choice for a busy family. Their potential lifespan is 10 years. If you are interested in adopting Flopsy and Mopsy, call the Burbank Animal Shelter and give their identification numbers, A003447 and A003448. Adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays and major holidays.

Kitten adoption fair coming this weekend The Burbank Animal Shelter will host its kitten adoption fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the shelter, 1150 Victory Place. All the kittens have been raised and cared for by the shelter?s Kitten Foster Care Program volunteers and are ready for immediate adoption. Because of an overwhelming number of kittens, the shelter needs people to take a kitten home more than ever this year, said Alisa Cunningham, a member of the shelter?

Because of a large stock of dogs recently seized by the Police Department in an alleged animal endangerment case, the Burbank Animal Shelter is offering dog adoptions for a fraction of its regular fees. Adoption fees for all dogs, which include spaying and neutering, have been decreased from $45 to $15 this month. The fee decrease was prompted by the seizure of 86 canines from a Burbank home last month. Those dogs, which are being kept at the now-full Burbank shelter and a private kennel, have been cleared for adoption, Animal Control Officer Florante Pagador said.

Just one look at Molly and Pica, and it's hard to believe that the inseparable pair of pooches was returned to the Burbank Animal Shelter after just three days. But their story, including that of a pit bull that was returned after just one day, should serve as cautionary tale for anyone whose eyes may be larger than their lifestyle. The life of a shelter dog is a - ahem - rough one. Thrust into a new environment surrounded by strange cellmates and an ever changing atmosphere, any semblance of a normal life, of routine, is quickly lost.

Two months after a nonprofit consulting firm issued its recommendations for turning around the struggling DeBell Golf Club, an oversight committee this week implemented some of those recommendations, which involve cost-cutting measures and course improvements. At a meeting on Wednesday, the golf subcommittee recommended shifting 14% of the cost associated with paying city staffers to oversee the course to the Burbank's General Fund. That could save DeBell $53,828 next fiscal year.

A pair of inseparable dogs were adopted last week from the Burbank Animal Shelter only to be returned three days later, prompting reminders from shelter staffers that especially when it comes to pets, patience is a virtue. Molly, a 12-year-old fox terrier, landed at the shelter with Pica, a two-year old Chihuahua-beagle mix. Their former owner gave them to the shelter months ago before entering the hospital. The pair has lived at the shelter for seven months, but they're not alone.

Hundreds of volunteers participated in a long-standing tradition Saturday to provide holiday baskets and gifts to families in need during the holidays. Burbank firefighters, one of many groups involved in the Coordinating Council's Holiday Basket Program, have dropped off baskets and gifts since at least 1979, Capt. Peter Hendrickson said. “We adopted 12 families this year,” Hendrickson said, adding that from about 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., firefighters delivered baskets with food and toiletries, among other items, to families across the city.

A new year may mean a new start for the critters at the Burbank Animal Shelter. Beginning this weekend, the shelter is expanding hours to be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We have the largest number of visitors on Saturdays and we hope Sunday will do the same for us," said shelter Supt. Brenda Castaneda. Sunday hours were recommended during an audit of the shelter's services two years ago and Castaneda has been working to meet the suggestions. "We will evaluate how Sunday hours have worked in July," Castaneda said.

BURBANK — Granada Hills resident Bob Kalaba found a new best friend in a Labrador mix named Iggy, whom he adopted Saturday at the Burbank Animal Shelter. Iggy playfully ran to Kalaba, tail wagging. Kalaba and his family were the first group to adopt an adult dog at the shelter's Annual Summer Adoption Fair that runs until Thursday. "I wanted to adopt one that was going to be euthanized if nobody took the dog," he said. "That to me is so sad." Iggy's previous owner turned her over to the shelter because she was "not a good camping dog, so just go ahead and put her to sleep," Kalaba was told.

Eighth-grader Spencer Malden’s only experience building things is with Legos. But three days into a lesson at Luther Burbank, he donned mechanic gloves and disconnected a sparkplug from an engine while explaining how its piston worked. “I’ve been trying to take it apart, and I’m getting better at it,” he said. “I don’t know [if I want to be a mechanic], but it’s better than math.” Spencer is in the Exploring Technology Lab elective at school, providing hands-on learning opportunities in 16 roughly two-week courses, ranging from robotics, forensic science, applied physics, audio broadcasting and microbiology.

CITY HALL — Under a new policy adopted Tuesday, press releases on sensitive issues will have to be brought to a City Council committee before being disseminated to the public. Following a string of strongly worded press releases in response to recent lawsuits filed by current and former police officers, the City Council on Tuesday voted 4 to 1 to give prior notice to its two-member Public Information Office Subcommittee before issuing public comments on litigation and personnel matters.