The 9th annual Vanderpump Dog Foundation World Dog Day was scheduled for Saturday, September 26, as a free event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Planned activities included live entertainment, vendor booths, celebrity appearances, dog adoptions, and a doggy pie-eating contest, all with a serious mission: shining a light on dog abuse happening around the world.
Last year's edition drew more than 2,000 people and their dogs, according to Larchmont Buzz, and West Hollywood city leaders have made a point of backing the gathering with more than good will. The West Hollywood City Council voted in March 2025 to co-sponsor the event, waiving an estimated $11,220 in municipal permit and facility fees along with roughly $1,370 in lost revenue related to waived parking fees on San Vicente Boulevard and at the Five-Story Parking Structure, according to WeHo Times. Proceeds from World Dog Day fund rescue operations, international campaigns against dog abuse, and canine medical care, per the same event details.
A City Built Around Animal Welfare
West Hollywood's willingness to open its civic centerpiece to a dog-rescue fundraiser is not a one-off gesture. The city became the first U.S. municipality to ban cat declawing in April 2003, went on to prohibit retail sales of dogs and cats in pet stores in February 2010, and enacted a fur sales ban in 2013, according to WeHo Times reporting also cited by Hello WeHo. The city declared itself a cruelty-free zone back in 1989 and now officially refers to residents as pet guardians rather than pet owners in its communications, framing animals as family rather than property, Hello WeHo reports.
That civic backdrop makes West Hollywood Park a fitting stage for an organization whose origin story is rooted in witnessing cruelty abroad. Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd founded the Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2016 after becoming aware of a dog meat festival in Yulin, China, and personally witnessing the abuse and slaughter of dogs there, per Larchmont Buzz. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) working both domestically and internationally, has since made a mission of championing better treatment for dogs at home and around the world.
From Yulin to a Los Angeles Rescue Center
The foundation's fight against the Yulin festival has expanded well beyond public rallies. In China, where an estimated 10 million dogs are killed annually in the dog meat trade, the Vanderpump Dog Foundation rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes dogs. The foundation also advocates for better treatment of dogs internationally.
Domestically, the foundation runs its rescue and adoption center at 8134 W. 3rd Street in Los Angeles, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., per Larchmont Buzz. Since 2016, the foundation has placed more than 2,100 rescued dogs into permanent homes and has aimed to surpass 3,000 local Los Angeles rescues, according to figures reported by ACCESS Newswire.
Specialized Programs Beyond Basic Adoption
Beyond standard adoptions, the foundation runs a dedicated nursery that rescues pregnant dogs and litters from high-kill shelters in Los Angeles, fostering puppies until they are ready for adoption, per Larchmont Buzz. Its Seniors for Seniors program matches elderly people with elderly dogs at a reduced adoption fee, while a separate program pairs rehabilitated dogs with military veterans, according to the same reporting.
World Dog Day helps fund the foundation's rescue operations, international campaigns against dog abuse, and canine medical care.
