West Hollywood’s annual Picasso Pets event drew its biggest turnout yet Saturday at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., filling the main lawn with dogs, cats, vendors, and community members looking to connect. On what turned out to be a picture perfect Spring day, the event was filled with good vibes, great music, and oh so many adorable fur babies. It was one of those events that made you feel good just by being there.
The free event ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and featured adoption areas, vendor booths, a bandana-making station, an Ask the Trainer booth, and caricature drawings.
“This is the best year,” said Andrea Lujan, a City recreation specialist who helped organize the event. “We’ve had the most community groups.”
Lujan said the bandana-making station — where attendees could customize fabric with markers or iron-on patches for their pets — was one of the most popular draws. Free dog treats were also available.
“We listen to what the community wants and every year we try to hit that goal and go further,” she said.
Rescue Dogs at the Center
Among the organizations set up on the lawn was Real Good Rescue, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 that pulls at-risk dogs from city and county shelters facing euthanasia.
“Most of the time, they either come with major medical or sometimes behavioral,” said Terah Gisolo, the organization’s founder and executive director. “We get them rehabilitated and then find them their forever homes.”
Gisolo said events like Picasso Pets give rescue organizations visibility they can’t always get on their own.
Real Good Rescue operates as a foster-based organization and relies on donations. More information is available at realgood.dog.
Picasso Pets is an annual City event, held each spring at West Hollywood Park. Saturday’s turnout was the latest chapter in a commitment to animal welfare stretching back decades. The City declared itself a Cruelty-Free Zone in 1989 and adopted no-kill shelter policies, later becoming the first city in North America to ban cat declawing in 2004.
Gisolo said the event does something shelters and social media can’t fully replicate. “People that want to come here bring their dogs in the neighborhood and connect with the community, organizations and animals that need support,” she said.
