This beautiful green eyed girl needs home! Meet her with Cactus Cats Saturday at Petco, 5011 E. Ray Road from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pet rescue groups across the Valley are coming together with a three-year initiative to solve the problem of pet homelessness by fixing, adopting and saving Valley pets.

Spring is in the air and the desert is entering its cycle of new life. However, for the Ahwatukee community, that could mean more than seasonal allergies.

Velvet is a mellow girl looking for her perfect home. This 4-year-old German Shepherd/Chinese Shar-Pei mix is looking for a home that does not have any other dogs or cats. She gets along best with people and can self entertain — toys can keep her occupied for hours.

The International Cat Association (TICA) and Desperado Cat Fanciers are celebrating the Eighth Annual Spring Shootout Cat Show March 2-3, at the Wesley Bolin building at the Arizona Sate Exposition Center, 1826 W. McDowell Road Phoenix.

A new kind of pet store that features rescued dogs and cats rather than purebred puppies and kittens will have its grand opening inside Chandler Fashion Center this weekend.

Los Angeles   •   Dogs and cats can’t brush, spit, gargle or floss on their own. So owners who want to avoid bad pet breath will need to lend a hand.

Travel for humans during holidays is tough enough: Long lines, crowds everywhere, extra bags full of presents. Throw a pet in the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Tucker Brown is a neutered 4-year-old Beagle mix who weighs about 50 pounds. He has the sweetest personality and gets along great with other dogs. He loves people, but has not been around kids or cats yet, so he would need an introduction. Tucker Brown loves to snuggle on the couch and is relatively low maintenance. He follows basic commands and his favorite toy is a Nylabone. He is house/doggie-door trained and sleeps through the night with no issues. Essentially, he is a mellow guy who is happy all the time and would love to have a family to call his own.

Fifteen dogs attended Sue Subkow’s first Halloween party in 2005. Half wore costumes, half were naked and all went home in about an hour.

Contessa, “Tessa” for short, is a gorgeous girl, about 1 year old. She’s experiencing things now she should have experienced when she was a puppy. Poor Tessa was a “backyard” dog so instead of being part of the family she was left on her own. She is very happy to see and be with people. Tessa is a smart girl so would benefit from an owner familiar with her breed and willing to keep her busy with training, play time, walks, and car rides. Tessa would do best in a home with no young children as she’s young, large, and still learning. Tessa is spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations. She lives at Friends for Life’s adoption center located in downtown Gilbert.

New animal rescue seeks home for 2 abandoned dogs

Beautiful, quiet Ellie’s owner passed away suddenly and this kitty found herself at the pound along with her mother, father and sibling cats, all of whom were rescued by Cactus Cats. She has a Siamese face and body shape, but her mom’s Calico coat and green eyes. She’s very sweet and playful.

With 8 million homeless pets entering U.S. shelters every year, the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) is helping to solve the problem with its “Primp Your Pit (bull)” spay/neuter promotion sponsored by PetSmart Charities. During August, AHS will spay/neuter pit bulls for a special rate of $20, including a free nail trim.

Almond is a big, beautiful girl. She is a little shy at first, but really warms up to everyone. She’s a 3-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback/German Shepherd who is good with other dogs, but it’s not recommended that she live with cats or children younger than junior high-aged. This goofy, playful girl is seeking a loving forever family with an energy level to match. She loves to run and pounce on toys. Once she burns off a little energy and gets some fresh air, she is content to sit near you and be loved.

Separately or in pairs, these kitties are looking for a position involving light mousekeeping followed by heavy cat napping. Their 53-year-old mother suddenly passed away of a stroke and her family of cats ended up at the pound on death row. Cactus Cats of Ahwatukee came to the rescue, giving them all a second chance at life. Among them are these three boys, a Calico female, a stately seal point Siamese, and a rare champagne orange and petite Bengal mix.

Veterinarians are quick to explain the importance of brushing, but studies show that 65 percent of pet owners do not brush their pet’s teeth. By investing up to 2 minutes a day brushing your pet’s teeth, you can improve their health and enjoy their fresher breath.

Ian is sweet and affectionate. He loves to be petted and is great at the groomers. Ian’s a gentle lap cat who gets along well with others. He is a 7-year-old, declawed Maine Coon who has been fixed and tested.

Flower is a large, young adult, female mixed breed dog. She was originally found as a stray. Flower has been waiting to find her new home for over a year now. She’s the shelter’s longest resident dog. The dogs she was found with have long been adopted. Flower is a very sweet girl. She has found her own way to deal with living at an animal shelter for so long, but every once in a while volunteers take her home for “sleepovers.”

Ian is sweet and affectionate. He loves to be petted and is great at the groomers. Ian’s a gentle lap cat who gets along well with others. He is a 7-year-old, declawed Maine Coon who has been fixed and tested.

It is a Tuesday afternoon and Samantha Spinelle sits crossed-legged on the cool, concrete floor of her office. A small, tan dog named Finn is folded into her arms. She strokes her hand over an angular body that is comprised of little more than skin stretched taut over bones. The warm cocoon of her embrace and soft caress is pure torture. In his world humans are not good. If only he could crawl back under her desk and make himself one with the hot-pink dog bed where he was safe just moments ago. Eyes fixed at some point beyond the gray wall, he is frozen, save for the slight, involuntary shudder that comes with each touch.

Coco, approximately 3 to 4 years old, is a blue-eyed, short-haired lynx pointe Siamese. She is a playful, friendly cuddler who is fixed, tested and has all her shots. She would do fine with other cats or very well as queen of her own domain.

Los Angeles • Cat owners have done a good job spaying and neutering their pets. The big issue now when it comes to felines is population control of feral cats, and that's led to a movement by animal welfare groups to trap colonies of these wild cats for sterilization.

In our experience, one of the most common problems we see, is the wrong dog in the wrong home. Just like people, dogs are all different. Within the same breed and even within the same litter, puppies all have different personalities. Finding the right match

Feral cats are friends, not pests.