You might see a perfectly primped poodle or groomed chihuahua and think that these breeds are only available through a breeder or at an over-priced pet store. Luckily, LA-based non-profit organizations like the Lange Foundation on Sepulveda provide Angelenos with a compassionate (and cheaper) alternative. The foundation notes that "every year in Los Angeles County, over one hundred thousand pets are taken to animal shelters simply because they drastically outnumber the homes available to them," and has made its mission to provide rehabilitation and shelter to animals in need of a home.
Gillian Lange, recipient of the City of Los Angeles St. Francis of Assisi Award for her work helping animals, founded the organization in 1993. Since then, volunteers and staff at the Lange Foundation have worked daily to save the lives of neglected and stray animals. Having placed over 20,000 animals in new homes, the organization has worked tirelessly to dispel the myth that worthy pets can only come from a pet store.
In an effort to save as many animals as possible, the Foundation also opened St. Bonnie's Sanctuary, a facility in Canyon Country that houses dogs, cats, and even horses, which would otherwise be put down.
Ultimately, the Lange Foundation's goal is "to give a future to as many impounded pets as possible" until the foundation itself--and the need for its existence--can finally "become obsolete." To see photos of some of the Lange Foundation's animals that are available for adoption, see the slideshow below.
Photos courtesy of the Lange Foundation.