Brian Brahms, owner of Got Pet Food, is challenging himself to reach his goal of aiding in the 500th pet adoption since opening his Santa Monica store Got Pet Food in 2006.
His highest priority is the welfare of his four-legged customers.
He says he’s helped rescue nearly 500 abandoned and homeless pets since 2006, through referrals and by hosting monthly adoption fairs.
“I’ve been an adoption advocate my entire 50 years in the business,” Brahms said.
This Saturday, July 28, Brahms will host a festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring live music, free BBQ, giveaways, offers, and of course, pet adoptions that’s open to the public.
“I’ve diverted many people to breed-specific shelters who were heading to a breeder,” Brahms said.
The ASPCA estimates that five out of 10 dogs, and seven out of 10 cats, in shelters are put down simply because there is no one to adopt them.
In the last few years, Brahms has witnessed the problem first hand as the recession made things go from bad to even worse for homeless and abandoned pets while fewer and fewer people are capable of caring for them.
Meanwhile, shelter resources are dwindling down to nearly nothing.
Last spring, Brahms called in some favors and began planning a festival to benefit the shelters and promote pet adoption with a challenge to help adopt 500 animals by the event’s date – calling it Pet Fest West.
Anyone who donates a shelter item will be entered in a raffle to win a year’s supply of cat or dog food.
Information on the festival, raffle, activities, and pets for adoption, are viewable on the festival website, petfestwest.com.
It will be held at 1840 14th Street in Santa Monica.
