Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Pasadena Humane Brings Its Longer-Stay Dogs to a Hastings Ranch Store

[photo credit: Pasadena Humane]

A quiet room inside PetSmart lets animals that may not show well in kennels meet visitors somewhere calmer, the shelter says

The dogs Pasadena Humane takes to a Hastings Ranch pet store on Wednesday evenings are the ones nobody has taken home yet.

Pasadena Humane, a nonprofit, lists the event as the Hidden Gems Pop-Up Dog Adoption Event, and the next one runs Wednesday, August 5, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at PetSmart Hastings Ranch on East Foothill Boulevard. Its listing describes the animals as “dogs who have been at the shelter longer than most other pups,” brought out each week by the organization’s mobile adoption team. The pool it draws from includes dogs that arrived during the Eaton Fire and were never reclaimed.

The program began in mid-October 2025. In a column published by Pasadena Humane and previously in the Pasadena Star-News, President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Ramon wrote that the idea came from Iri Di Vincenzo, then the shelter’s mobile adoptions manager, who selects dogs that may not present well in a kennel but relax in quieter settings. Each dog gets its own space in the store, visible to shoppers.

Adoption is the point, but Ramon wrote that it is not the only measure. Even “a few hours outside the shelter can make a big difference,” he wrote, adding that staff and volunteers gain insights during those hours that often lead to better adoption matches later.

The first dog in the program was Biggs, a 4-year-old American bulldog mix weighing more than 75 pounds. He came to the shelter during the Eaton Fire in January 2025 and entered the program nine months to the day after he arrived, according to Ramon’s column. His former owner was unable to reclaim him, and in May 2025 he went up for adoption.

Biggs was one of nearly 600 pets Pasadena Humane took in for emergency boarding in the hours and days after the fire started, the column said. Most went back to their families. Some did not.

The shelter’s reach into the burn area is contractual as well as circumstantial. Pasadena Humane provides animal care and control services for unincorporated Altadena under an agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, which also routes East Pasadena, San Pasqual and La Crescenta to the Pasadena shelter. Founded in 1903, the organization operates from 361 South Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, CA 91105.

The August 5 event is free to attend, and Pasadena Humane’s event information states that adoption fees and requirements apply. Standard fees are $150 for dogs 6 months and older and $300 for puppies under 6 months, and include spay or neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccines, a rabies vaccine, a microchip and a free health exam within 14 days from a participating veterinarian. Dogs adopted in the organization’s licensing service cities are licensed for an additional fee on adoption day. Adopters should bring valid identification, a form of payment, and either a carrier or a collar or harness and leash. PetSmart Hastings Ranch is at 3347 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107, (626) 351-8434; the shelter’s main line is (626) 792-7151. The August 5 listing is posted at pasadenahumane.org/phs-event/hidden-gems-a-pop-up-dog-adoption-event-at-petsmart-hastings-ranch/2026-08-05.

Biggs was not adopted that first night in October. He walked the room, picked out a toy, played a game of fetch, and curled up at the feet of his favorite volunteer. The shelter counted that as a success.