Live Love Animal Rescue: Live to Rescue, Love to Care

On a mission to find every stray dog a home.

By Gina V. Ramsey

At the start of the Covid quarantine, Long Beach resident Kate Nulty received a call from Live Love Animal Rescue’s founder Emily Ann Peters, asking if she would foster an 8-week Husky puppy named Potter.

Social Worker Nulty was no stranger to Live Love Animal Rescue, a Long Beach non-profit foster-based dog rescue organization committed to reducing the homeless pet population. She and her family had been volunteers as a foster family to shelter pets through Live Love in the past, and they already had a rescue dog. The first dog they fostered a few years ago, Karma, got adopted quickly. “We were so impressed with the responsiveness and organization of Live Love,” she said.

Not only did Nulty and her family take in the puppy, they ended up adopting Potter. “He really saved our family from the dark days of Covid quarantine,” Nulty said.

Therefore, when Emily called on Nulty again earlier this year about taking in another shelter pet, she and her family listened with an open heart. Colby is a special-needs puppy that was

found wandering the streets of Los Angeles covered in mud. Born with a rare front limb deformity called ectrodactyly, Colby had a difficult time going on walks, much less running, as an energetic puppy should.

“One look at his picture and we said yes!” recalled Nulty.

Colby and his family were even featured on an episode of the Wizard of Paws, a television program where animal prosthetist Derrick Campana ‘creates one-of-a-kind artificial limbs for animals unable to stand or walk.’ And to see Colby run for the first time in his life is truly a miracle.

Founder and director of Live Love Animal Rescue, Emily Ann Peters was inspired to start the organization after noticing an overwhelming need in the community to help abandoned dogs.

“First it was stray dogs and cats, and then it was overcrowding and senseless loss of life at our local shelter,” Peters said.

Live Love’s ultimate goal is to care for, heal, and place rescued dogs into permanent loving homes. They take in dogs from all positions and that often means rescuing those with extreme behavior and severe medical cases, such as Colby. Adopted pooches are not the only ones with gratitude for Live Love.

“[Through this labor of unconditional love called rescue] I’ve learned [a lot] about myself and have become humbled and more connected to the world around me,” Peters said. “Rescue has taught me so much about life as a whole. I have become more spiritual. I have an abundance of chosen family thanks to my work rescuing animals.”

Before each dog is ready for adoption, Live Love makes sure dogs are healed, spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, and receive behavioral training as needed. For those doggies too ill to adopt out, they remain a permanent cherished resident of Live Love. Peters likes to say that Live Love is a product of the community.

“It simply wouldn’t exist without all of our volunteers, fosters, donors, and adopters. Especially our core team who dedicate nearly another full-time job in volunteer hours every week to make sure the rescue runs smoothly. Live Love…belongs to all of us.”

Live Love partners with local rescue and animal shelters, along with city government to one day transform Long Beach into a no-kill city for all animals. Foster networks and placement for dogs have begun to expand beyond Long Beach and Southern California areas, into Colorado

and soon to New Hampshire.

“I am remarkably honored to oversee this magical organization which spreads love throughout SoCal and beyond,” Peters said. As their motto indicates, Peters and those who

help her: live to rescue, love to care.

Live Love Animal Rescue’s mission is to save homeless animals by providing them a lifelong commitment to their well-being. We take in dogs from all situations and often find ourselves rescuing the most extreme behavior and medical cases. Live Love Animal Rescue is dedicated to ensuring these dogs are healed and brought to the greatest possible quality of life and placed in loving, responsible, committed foster and then permanent homes. While in the care of foster homes, all dogs are healed, spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, and receive behavioral training as needed prior to adoption. The ultimate goal is to find our rescued dogs a forever home of their own and for those that are too ill, they will remain in our rescue family as Forever Fosters and be cherished for all of their days. We partner with local rescues, the shelter and city government to develop a network of volunteers and supporters

that can transform Long Beach into a no-kill city for all animals. Live to Rescue. Love to Care.

Learn More at liveloveanimalrescue.org.