Flagship event · December 12, 2026
Santa Paws 2026: 100 dogs. 14 vans. One day.
Saturday, December 12, 2026 · 9 AM – 2 PM · South Los Angeles Animal Shelter. Our biggest Santa Paws ever: fourteen mobile grooming vans and twenty-plus volunteer groomers, transforming 100 shelter dogs into holiday-ready, adoption-ready stars — in a single day.
"We Groom. You Adopt." — in partnership with LA Animal Services, we're turning the South LA Animal Shelter into a holiday makeover studio for one day. Every freshly groomed dog goes straight into a Santa photo, and straight onto an adoption listing.
What happens on December 12
From morning to afternoon, fourteen mobile grooming vans line up at the South Los Angeles shelter — including the dedicated pink Foundation van unveiled at our 25th anniversary, on its first Santa Paws mission. Every dog who comes through gets:
- A free professional groom — full spa day from PETCPR+ certified volunteer groomers
- A holiday photo with Santa — fresh adoption-listing photos that triple a dog's chance of being chosen
- A same-day adoption listing update — their new look goes online before the day ends
Thinking of adopting? Come meet 100 freshly groomed dogs looking for homes before the holidays — adoption details for the day will be announced soon.
We've done it before — now we're going bigger
At our last full-shelter Santa Paws day at the Van Nuys shelter, 12 vans groomed 100 dogs in a single day. This year we're bringing fourteen. Santa Paws launched in 2015 with a few dozen dogs in an afternoon; eleven years later it's the biggest single-day shelter grooming operation on the LA calendar — and the event with the highest same-day adoption rate of any we run.
If you're a professional groomer
We always need more hands on deck — especially licensed groomers who can donate their skills for the day. You bring the tools you're comfortable with; we provide the vans, the dogs, the support staff, and lunch. Email info@hollywoodrescuegrooming.org and we'll connect you with the volunteer coordinator.
For media
Fourteen vans, one hundred dogs, Santa, and live same-day adoptions — Santa Paws 2026 is one of the most visual stories on the December calendar. For the media alert, interviews, or to arrange coverage on event day, contact info@hollywoodrescuegrooming.org.