Little Ones Animal Center

The Little Ones Animal Center's passionate belief is that it is our responsibility as Guardians to take care of our innocent animal friends and our beloved pets. Through Education, Respect, Trust and Unconditional Love we can accomplish this mission so that humans, animals and our pets can live harmoniously. All Life is Precious!
Our Motto:
The Little Ones Animal Center finds the perfect family for each dog rather than the perfect dog for each family!
"All Life is Precious"!

The Little Ones Animal Center was founded in February 2015 in Huntington Beach, California. From the start, our mission has focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs—always placing them in foster homes rather than cages. We believe a loving home environment allows for faster healing and a smoother transition into permanent placement. Our fosters are the heart of our organization and the reason so many lives are saved.

Roughly 35% of the dogs we rescue have experienced abuse, and about 85% have been abandoned or surrendered. Many arrive fearful, traumatized, and unsure how to trust humans again. We spend time evaluating each dog to understand their needs and match them with the right family. For example, a dog abused by a male may feel safer in a female-led household.

We rescue dogs of all ages, primarily from overcrowded county and city shelters, as well as through owner surrenders. Every adoption begins with healing—and that starts here.

Top Accomplishments from the Past Year:
1. No Time Limits on Healing: We remain the only rescue in our area that places neglected, abused, or abandoned dogs into foster homes with no time restrictions on their rehabilitation. Each dog receives the personalized care and time they need to truly heal.
2. Rescuing the Forgotten: We continue to identify and rescue dogs who have been overlooked in shelters for months—or even years. We pay their adoption fees, rehabilitate them in foster homes, and match them with loving forever families.
3. Supporting Seniors & Their Pets: We help senior citizens on limited incomes keep their pets by providing food, pet care, and basic supplies—ensuring they don’t have to surrender their beloved companions due to financial hardship.
4. "Keep Them Home" Program Success: Since 2020, our “Keep Them Home” initiative has helped over 74 families and 157 pets stay together through times of crisis by providing essentials like food, flea medication, vaccines, bedding, leashes, and even doggy strollers for elderly pet parents.
Goals for the Current Year:
1. Provide Monthly Stipends to Fosters: We aim to raise enough funding to offer a small monthly stipend to our dedicated fosters—many of whom are seniors—to help cover costs and acknowledge their life-saving work.
2. Expand Foster Network: We are actively recruiting new fosters to grow our capacity and increase the number of dogs we can save and rehabilitate.
3. Increase Rescue Volume: With a broader foster base, we can pull more high-risk dogs from overcrowded city and county shelters, including those facing euthanasia.
4. Sustain and Grow "Keep Them Home": We plan to continue and expand our vital program that keeps families and pets together through economic hardship.
5. Explore Facility Expansion: We are exploring opportunities to secure a physical location in Orange County to enhance our rescue efforts. This facility would not replace our foster-based model—it would serve as a central hub for rehabilitation, supplies, education, and emergency housing, allowing us to support more animals and people in need.

Top 5 Most Pressing Needs
1. Foster Support Stipends – $40,000/year
To provide a modest monthly stipend for eight foster families who open their homes to rescued dogs. Many fosters are seniors or on fixed incomes, and this support helps cover food, supplies, and transportation costs.
2. Veterinary Care – $10,000/year
Many of our dogs arrive with urgent medical needs, including vaccinations, spay/neuter procedures, dental work, and treatment for injuries or illness. This funding ensures we can provide prompt and necessary care.
3. Dog Food & Supplies – $5,000/year
Feeding and caring for dozens of dogs requires a steady supply of quality wet and dry food, along with essentials like crates, leashes, toys, beds, and grooming tools.
4. "Keep Them Home" Program – $8,000/year
This program helps struggling families keep their pets by providing food, flea meds, vaccines, leashes, doggy strollers, and other necessities—reducing shelter surrenders and keeping loved pets in their homes.
5. Social Media & Outreach Support – $40,000/year
We aim to hire a full-time staff member to manage social media, donor engagement, and community outreach. A strong digital presence is critical to growing awareness, increasing support, and saving more lives.

All of Orange County and a few close cities in Los Angeles. Long Beach and Carson is very close to our rescue here in Huntington Beach. So, there are times when we have adoptions in those areas, but we concentrate in our Orange County areas most of the time.

I am incredibly proud to lead The Little Ones Animal Center. Rescuing animals has always been at the heart of our mission and the passion that drives us forward. Our fosters are the backbone of our rescue—compassionate, patient, and deeply committed individuals who truly love dogs.

We believe that healing starts with the right environment. By placing each dog in a home setting and partnering with professional trainers, we give them the structure, love, and consistency they need to recover and thrive. When a dog leaves our care, they are not only healthy and emotionally stable but also trained in basic commands and house manners. This investment in their rehabilitation results in a 98% success rate of permanent placements—with nearly no returns to our rescue or shelters.

Our commitment extends beyond adoption. Through our "Keep Them Home" program, we help families in crisis keep their pets, reducing surrenders and easing the burden on overwhelmed shelters. Together, we’re not just saving dogs—we’re keeping families whole.

Successes:
1. By placing no time restrictions on the rehabilitation process, we have eliminated returns of adopted dogs to our rescue or other shelters. Each dog receives the time and care they need to truly heal.
2. Providing a home environment through our foster program, paired with individualized training, has helped dogs recover more quickly—turning once-neglected or abandoned animals into loving, adoptable companions.
3. Our “Keep Them Home” program has been a tremendous success, helping families in crisis keep their beloved pets rather than surrendering them.
Challenges:
1. Retaining fosters—especially senior citizens—is becoming increasingly difficult. Offering a small monthly stipend would not only help retain these dedicated individuals but also support them financially.
2. Our “Keep Them Home” program was made possible by generous donations from local pet stores, which once provided food and supplies no longer fit for retail. However, recent corporate decisions have ended local donations, and we now must purchase all food and supplies out-of-pocket.
We also relied on community support through platforms like Nextdoor, where people donated gently used items like beds and ramps. Unfortunately, as the economy tightens, these sources are becoming less reliable.
We anticipate even greater need in the coming year. We believe that animal rescue doesn’t end with adoption—it includes helping families keep their pets during difficult times. With additional support, we are determined to continue both our rescue and retention efforts.