While many people look forward to the big gatherings with friends and family, fireworks, noisemakers, music and champagne on New Year's Eve, these festivities can be very frightening and dangerous for our beloved pets. With a little planning and precaution, you can ensure that your New Year's celebration is enjoyable for you and your furry friends.

Below are some safety tips to keep in mind this weekend.

• Keep your pet indoors
  New Year's Eve and the days following are usually some of the busiest at LA City Animal Shelters. Many pets escape their homes because they are afraid of loud sounds from fireworks.
  
  The best way to keep your pets safe is to make sure they stay indoors and in an enclosed room if possible. 
   
  If you do allow your pet outside to go to the bathroom, be sure that your gates or fence are secure or that your pet stays on a leash. Big bangs and noise from fireworks can be very intimidating and cause a scared dog to find the smallest opening in a fence and escape.
  
  Even if your pet doesn't seem obviously upset by fireworks, they can still cause harm to pets if burned or if they accidentally ingest them. 

• Create a calming environment
  If you're having guests over or a party, try creating a safe place in your home where your pet can have some quiet space away from your company such as a room that's off-limits or a familiar crate with some of their favorite toys or a comforting blanket.
   
  Play soothing music and keep the room as quiet as possible by closing doors, windows and blinds. While celebrating, it is easy to forget that loud noises and celebratory poppers or noisemakers can scare your four-legged friend. 

• Make sure toxic food and drinks are out of reach
  Alcoholic beverages are very toxic to pets. Some people will not know this and may leave a cup in a place where your pet can access it. Many rich foods are not good for your pet as well and can even be toxic, such as chocolate.
  
  Be sure to let all guests know that alcoholic beverages and foods should be kept out of reach at all times and to not share with your pet.

• Always make sure your pet has up-to-date identification 
  If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar with a current license and/or ID tag on them and a microchip that's registered with your contact information, will help reunite you with your companion animal.

• What to do if your pet does get out
  If your pet is lost, go to the nearest animal shelter where you last saw your best friend. Tell them that you lost your pet and give them specific information about what your pet looks like, if they are microchipped and if they are wearing a license or tag.
  
  To find our LA Animal Services locations, go to laanimalservices.com/shelters.
  
  You may also search LA Animal Services Lost Animal database at:
  laanimalservices.com/shelter-search-lost-pet.

By keeping these precautions in mind, New Year's Eve can be a fun and safe celebration instead of frightful one for you and your four-legged family members.

When Brian Fitzburgh decided to ditch the petting zoo at his annual Superbowl client BBQ in favor of a dog and cat adoption drive, he didn’t realize just how dramatically it would change his life — and his business.

Now, two years later, he’s in the process of rolling out a nationwide pet fostering and adoption campaign — “Be a Hero” — which has brought him closer to his clients than ever before. “It genuinely changed the course of my life,” Fitzburgh says. “I’d never done anything for the community; I’d never had a wish to be involved in community.” It started off small — four adoptions from a crowd of around 100 people at that first client BBQ — but that success was enough to set the wheels in motion.

“The thought occurred that it might not just be clients who wanted to help,” Fitzburgh explains. He decided to expand his reach, leading to the establishment of Homes Fur All, the 501(c)(3) through which he now runs all his adoption and fostering efforts.

Homes Fur All’s first event was held in 2017 in Brian’s city, Glassell Park — appropriately named “Glassell Bark” and run in the style of a community fair. It attracted 3,000 people and featured events such as a human barking contest and doggie fashion show, as well as free microchipping and, of course, animals up for adoption.

Then came events in Echo Park and a Superbowl party, all branded under the banner “Bark and Meow.” Homes Fur All also played an integral role in the REALTORS® to the Rescue Pet Lounge hosted at C.A.R.’s REimagine! conference. Adopting a pet is a great way to spare an animal from a shelter, but it’s not the only option.

Through partnering with Los Angeles Animal Services, Fitzburgh realized the crucial role that animal fostering plays in dramatically reducing shelter kill rates. Determined to incorporate fostering into his program, he started including a sign-up station for pet fostering opportunities at all his open houses and was struck by the response of his clients.

“You always have to beg people to sign your open house sheet, and I don’t have to beg anybody to sign the foster sheet — they do it on their own.” With well over 100 foster placements to its name, Homes Fur All has succeeded in saving many animals from shelters.

But that hasn’t been its only success; Fitzburgh believes it has helped improve business numbers, too. “I wasn’t expecting it to be a business boost, but surprisingly and pleasantly, I’ve found that it really is,” he says. “When you’re talking about [a client’s] family, their kids and the pets that they love — the dynamic is so different.

​As an agent, you’re connecting with people on an emotional level, and before you know it, they want you to be their real estate agent.”

With a packed calendar of Bark and Meow events, the Fitzburgh Realty Team now has even bigger ambitions: going national by developing a marketing kit that will be available to all REALTORS® across the country.Titled “Be a Hero” and operating under the banner of “Real Estate Agents to the Rescue,” the kit will guide agencies interested in establishing their own fostering programs.

Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
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Brian Fitzburgh
818-571-9712
[email protected]
www.brokerstrust.com
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What a great time we had at the Glassell Park Christmas Tree Lighting! Thanks so much for joining us, we had a great time engaging the community and talking to our neighbors about rescuing homeless animals! ​

We had some great performances by so many members of the community!

There were tons of games, prizes and freebies! The poop book was a crowd favorite! 

We also raffled off a Christmas Tree and had FREE Family Photography!

Thanks to Councilmember Gil Cedillo and Maggie Quiroz for making this night happen!

Thanks so much for joining us, we had a great time engaging the community and talking to our neighbors about rescuing homeless animals!