Kandace Kuwahara, founder and executive director of Infinite Love Animal Rescue, receives certificates of recognition from the City of Gardena and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi at the fifth annual Furbaby Lovefest held in Gardena earlier this month. From left: Gardena Mayor Pro Tem Rodney Tanaka; Gardena Mayor Tasha Cerda; Kuwahara, dressed for this year’s “Superhero” theme; Erick Ponce-Furlos, field representative for Muratsuchi; and Hubie Fuh, director of development and partnerships for Infinite Love Animal Rescue.
GARDENA — The fifth annual Furbaby Lovefest, a fundraiser for the nonprofit Infinite Love Animal Rescue, was held on the Gardena City Hall lawn on Oct. 6.
This year’s “Superhero” theme was celebrated with a furbaby costume contest, free and low-cost pet care and wellness services, creative workshops, dog yoga, pet adoptions, an art contest for kids, vendor booths, as well as presentations to the organization’s founder and executive director, Kandace Kuwahara.
Kuwahara received certificates of recognition from both the City of Gardena and Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi of the 66th District for the many services she has offered through her organization:
Over 1,000 dogs and kittens have been rescued from the streets, shelters and owner surrenders.
Infinite Love Animal Rescue also provides necessary medical treatment and socialization for rescue animals towards successful adoptions. It offers valuable resources for pet owners and prospective adopters at the annual Furbaby Lovefest and at Furbaby Social events.
Kuwahara has also supported a spectrum of community needs. She delivered a donation of over 140 boxes of dog and cat food to the City of Gardena’s Human Services Department to provide assistance to residents struggling to feed their pets due to financial hardship or concerns about going out during the COVID health crisis; she has coordinated blanket drives for five animal shelters in L.A. County; and she has assisted with over 50 trap-and-release (TNR) cases for multiple cat communities, helping maintain public health through humane efforts.
Last month, Kuwahara organized donations of pet food and supplies to help animals impacted by the Crestline fire.
As a former professional humane educator for SpcaLA, Kuwahara has taught over 1,000 children “dog safety, pet responsibility, and kindness toward all animals” at local elementary schools, City of Gardena programs, Girl Scout troops, and after-school programs.
Volunteers and supporters of Infinite Love Animal Rescue received awards of recognition at the fifth annual Furbaby Lovefest. From left: Russell Nomura, Yoshiko Oest, Courtney Glick, Julie Nystrom, Daryle Krier, Kandace Kuwahara, Dr. Ronaldo Joey Vasquez and Hubie Fuh.
During the Furbaby Lovefest, Kuwahara honored the organization’s “superheroes,” dedicated volunteers and supporters. Daryle Krier, Courtney Gulick, Julie Nystrom and Hubie Fuh were recognized “for their outstanding dedication to the animals and continued growth of Infinite Love Animal Rescue”; Russ Nomura and Yoshiko Oest sponsor the Furbaby Lovefest Costume Contest and make a donation to Infinite Love with every property sold through their real estate agency, Live South Bay Local; and Dr. Ronaldo Joey Vasquez, head veterinarian at North Figueroa Animal Hospital in Los Angeles, provides medical care for Infinite Love’s rescue animals.
Infinite Love Animal Rescue has expanded each year since 2017, when Kuwahara founded the organization, inspired by her late dog Boo, a Jack Russell/chihuahua mix rescued from the SpcaLA Hawthorne shelter. “He taught me that love is infinite and eternal, and I wanted to honor that.”
For more information, visit www.InfiniteLoveRescue.org or on Instagram, go to @InfiniteLoveRescue.