In Los Angeles, a nonprofit is transforming the way shelter dogs are perceived, using professional grooming to increase their chances of adoption. The Hollywood Rescue Grooming Foundation, founded by the owners of Hollywood Mobile Grooming, provides free grooming services to homeless and shelter animals across the city.
The foundation began more than two decades ago, with the idea that grooming could help neglected dogs become more adoptable. Today, the organization serves dozens of shelters each year, offering baths, trims, nail care, and other grooming services. In 2024, the nonprofit reported having groomed over 700 pets, primarily dogs living in shelters or with people experiencing homelessness.
“A dog can walk into a shelter scared, matted, and invisible — and walk out looking confident, clean, and adoptable,” said Chuck Rubin, owner of the Hollywood Rescue Grooming Foundation. “The team works with patience and compassion — bath, blow-dry, trim, nails, even lavender oil massages to help them relax. By the end of the day, you see tails wagging, volunteers smiling, and a shelter full of dogs that suddenly have a better shot at being adopted.”
Some transformations have been especially memorable. The foundation told KTLA that one terrier named Benny arrived so matted he could barely walk. After two hours of grooming, he emerged as a new dog and was adopted the next day. Similarly, a matted Cocker Spaniel named Charlie drew the attention of a couple and after his grooming, was also able to find a home immediately.
“These moments are why we do this,” Rubin said. “It’s not just about appearance — grooming gives them dignity. That moment when a dog wags its tail again after being cleaned up… that’s the moment hope comes back. That’s what drives us.”
The nonprofit focuses on shelters and outreach programs with limited funding or overcrowded facilities. It also partners with rescue organizations and city programs to provide services where they are most needed. Mobile grooming vans allow the team to travel directly to shelters or areas where pets of people experiencing homelessness live.
“We’ve had dogs lick our groomers mid-bath, as if to say ‘thank you,’” Rubin recalled.
The nonprofit also organizes community events to support its year-round grooming programs. Its annual Race for the Rescues fundraiser invites participants to walk, run, or bring their dogs in what the organization describes as “a celebration of compassion in motion.” This year, the event will take place on November 15 at the Rose Bowl, with the foundation among the organizations benefiting from the fundraiser. Attendees can expect music, food, adoptable dogs, and an energetic atmosphere, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on community engagement and volunteer-driven support.Local nonprofit delivers $100 grocery gift cards to clients impacted by SNAP cuts
Another key event, Santa Paws, takes place each December in downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row. On Dec. 6 this year, the foundation will mark the tenth anniversary of the program. Volunteers use mobile grooming vans to provide free grooming, veterinary care, food, and gifts to pets of people experiencing homelessness. Even after a decade of hosting the event, the foundation says the work remains emotionally powerful, with pets often serving as vital sources of comfort and companionship for their owners.
“When we groom those dogs, we’re not just helping the animal — we’re giving their human a moment of pride and relief,” Rubin said. “We’ve seen people cry because it’s the first time their dog has been professionally groomed. It’s an incredibly humbling experience.”
The foundation depends on a combination of volunteers, sponsorships, and donations to sustain its operations. Local businesses can support the nonprofit by sponsoring a grooming van for a day, contributing to events, or making donations, while individuals can participate in local events, volunteer on-site, or donate through the foundation’s website.
The organization also notes that when pet owners book grooming services through Hollywood Mobile Grooming, it directly funds additional free grooming sessions for shelter or homeless dogs, creating a “pay-it-forward” cycle that helps extend the foundation’s reach.
