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# Looking out for man’s best friend
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/looking-out-for-mans-best-friend/
- Published: 2006-07-27T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T19:06:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Ocean Park, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Daily Press staff*

Twelve new volunteers took part in K9 connection’s two-hour Adoption Outreach Volunteering training class on July 15 to help rescue dogs at the city of Santa Monica’s Animal Shelter.

On their own time, they will walk the abandoned shelter dogs, sporting orange-and-black adopt-a-dog jackets, to public places and parks to find someone willing to give the pets a new home.

“This is part of OPCC’s, formerly Ocean Park Community Center’s, newest program,” says Glen Zipper, project operations manager.“The adoption service started in January and 90 percent of our dogs are adopted through the outreach effort. There’s no substitute for actually meeting a dog on the street and getting to know him or her outside the shelter.”

Seventy adoption volunteers have already signed up and many more are needed. Walking shifts are available seven days a week, and volunteers can conveniently schedule their walks by logging onto a special online calendar. Most volunteers come from K9 connection’s online posting at Volunteermatch.org or word of mouth.

Adoption outreach is an adjunct of K9 connection’s more comprehensive three-week program for at-risk 12-to-16-year-old youth, training homeless shelter dogs in basic obedience and teaching the teenagers to apply the same lessons they teach the dogs to their own lives. For more information, call (310) 264-5424 or visit www.k9connection.org. Don’t be reluctant to health yourself

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 27, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/072706.pdf?ref=smdp.com)