Alison Eastwood of Eastwood Ranch Rescue & Adoption Center was interviewed by Harvey Levin on TMZ LIVE, October 4, 2024. Alison Eastwood, the founder of Eastwood Ranch Foundation, discussed the current pet overcrowding crisis that is causing the deaths of hundreds and thousands of cats and dogs each year. ERF’s mission is to rescue pets from high kill shelters and temporarily house, feed, love and care for them as they are found forever homes. ERF recently opened the Rescue and Adoption Center in Agoura Hills, also referred to as “The Ranch”.
You can watch the video, or read the transcription below. And please consider making a donation to Eastwood Ranch Foundation today.
Harvey Levin: Welcome back to TMZ live. There is a crisis in California, the shelters for Wayward animals Strays…they kill now 110,000 of them every year and and it is heartbreaking. Governor Newson has vowed to stop that and allow rescue organizations totake these animal, and require thes helters to give them to these rescue orgs. Bbut it’s a big big problem and just the fact that so many abandoned animals now are sitting in shelters because you know a lot of people are going back to pure breads, or because of the pandemic is over people have lost interest in it -so this is a real crisis.
Enter Allison Eastwood who for the last 12 years has been working to save these animals and to create a Foundation. She has now created the Eastwood Ranch Foundation in Agoura outside of Los Angeles and the mission is to save these animals, to take them out of shelters, and it is such a wonderful thing she’s doing and we are honored – I am certainly honored -to bring her in right now. Allison welcome to TMZ Live.
Alison Eastwood: Hi guys thanks for having me. We so appreciate it.So um you know I’m activein a rescue organiz ganization calledace of hearts and the woman who runs itcontacted me a couple of days ago andsaid it is justunbelievable what is going on in theseshelters right now they’re killing allthese animals so I would assume you haveyour hands full at this point
yeah Imean it’s it’s been so terrible I meanwe’re always full um we’ve been fullever since I started doing this in 2012but seriously right now I don’t knowwhat’s going on I don’t know if it’spost pandemic or people are juststruggling and then dumping theiranimals but I’ve never seen such aninflux in our shelter system
wow sothere’s been a lot more animals Allisonlike Harvey said since the pandemic hasended uh that have either been leftabandon uh that you’re having to help
Alison Eastwood: I think so I also think a lot of them Ithink just people are struggling ingeneral and and one of the biggestproblems is is that you know Vet Carefor Animals is very expensive and justto do you know teeth cleaning or getspayed neutered or do basic things is soexpensive that it’s really kind of harduh you know for the average person to beable to afford that and I think that’s abig that’s part of the big crisis and II think keeping animals in their homewould be the best way to do it but Ihaven’t quite figured out how to do thatyet
Harvey Levin: well you figured out something tellus about the foundation uh
Alison Eastwood: well I Istarted I’ve always loved animals I’vealways been a huge animal Advocate umand uh as you can see I have this cutelittle hot breathing creature on my neckright here he’s so cute yeah she’s agood girl she’s our one of our rescuesum you know we started in 2012 we’vebeen working uh without any bricks andmortar of our own uh out of foster outof our own home uh out of boardingfacilities and um I kept saying we needour own place andthis is what prompted me to uh find thisland in Agora which is still LA Countybut just on the outskirts and to build aplace where people and animals couldcome together and it wouldn’t feel likea shelter it wouldn’t feel horrible likea prison it wouldn’t feel scary andchaotic it would feel like pure love anda place where you would want to comeadopt and actually volunteer and then bepart of something so it’s really aboutcommunity outreach and I thinkespecially in Los Angeles SouthernCalifornia I think community outreach isreally important because a lot of peopledon’t know um that the shelters are fulland that they’re euthanizing hundreds ofanimals just in Southern Californiaevery day alone so people don’t know andI think education and awareness and thenof course spay neuter there’s a lot ofcomponents to it but I I think justraising the awareness is a huge hugething Alison there’s going to be so manypeople watching this who love animalswhat what can somebody out there do ifthey say hey I want to help maybe Ican’t take in an animal right now butI’d love to help yeah you know a lot ofpeople are like I don’t have extra moneyto donate or I don’t whatever but youcan always most people are on socialmedia you can always share an animallike I would say community outreach goto your local shelter or go to yourlocal rescues Google where your you knowwho the people are doing great work inyour community and you know you can gettowels and blankets and newspaper youcan gather things you can share animalson social media you can uh you know do aa small bake sale or a fundraiser I meani’ I had a a young girl who raised$1,500 in Wisconsin for us and theyweren’t even in the state but there’s somany things to do and I I just thinkthat you can do a little something everyday to help animals especially in yourcommunity well listen what you’re doingis fantastic thank you so much forjoining us we really really appreciateit thank you guys so much and I hope youguys will come out and see theranch would love to come out Absolyou’re always welcome thank you Alisonthank you thank you okay that is oh I’lltell you just near and dear to my heart
Harvey Levin: Welcome back to TMZ Live. There is a crisis in California. The shelters for wayward animals, strays, kill now 110,000 of them every year. It is heartbreaking. Governor Newsom has vowed to stop that and allow rescue organizations to take these animals and require the shelters to give them to these rescue organizations. But it’s a big problem, and just the fact that so many abandoned animals are now sitting in shelters because a lot of people are going back to purebreds since the pandemic is over and people have lost interest in it. This is a real crisis.
Enter Allison Eastwood, who for the last 12 years has been working to save these animals and to create a foundation. She has now created the Eastwood Ranch Foundation in Agoura, outside of Los Angeles. The mission is to save these animals and take them out of shelters. It is such a wonderful thing she’s doing, and we are honored to bring her in right now. Allison, welcome to TMZ Live.
Alison Eastwood: Hi guys, thanks for having me.
Harvey Levin: We so appreciate it. You know, I’m active in a rescue organization called Ace of Hearts, and the woman who runs it contacted me a couple of days ago and said it is just unbelievable what is going on in these shelters right now. They’re killing all these animals, so I would assume you have your hands full at this point.
Yeah, I mean, it’s been so terrible. I mean, we’re always full. We’ve been full ever since I started doing this in 2012, but seriously right now, I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know if it’s post-pandemic or people are just struggling and then dumping their animals, but I’ve never seen such an influx in our shelter system.
TMZ Co-Host: Wow, so there’s been a lot more animals, Allison, like Harvey said, since the pandemic has ended that have either been left abandoned that you’re having to help.
Alison Eastwood: I think so. I also think a lot of them, I think just people are struggling in general, and one of the biggest problems is that vet care for animals is very expensive. Just to do teeth cleaning or get spayed or neutered or do basic things is so expensive that it’s really kind of hard for the average person to be able to afford that, and I think that’s part of the big crisis. I think keeping animals in their home would be the best way to do it, but I haven’t quite figured out how to do that yet.
Harvey Levin: Well, you figured out something. Tell us about the foundation.
Alison Eastwood: Well, I started, I’ve always loved animals. I’ve always been a huge animal advocate. As you can see, I have this cute little hot-breathing creature on my neck right here.
Harvey Levin:She’s so cute.
Alison Eastwood: Yeah, she’s a good girl. She’s one of our rescues. We started in 2012. We’ve been working without any bricks and mortar of our own, out of foster, out of our own home, out of boarding facilities, and I kept saying we need our own place. This is what prompted me to find this land in Agoura, which is still LA County but just on the outskirts, and to build a place where people and animals could come together. It wouldn’t feel like a shelter. It wouldn’t feel horrible like a prison. It wouldn’t feel scary and chaotic. It would feel like pure love and a place where you would want to come adopt and actually volunteer and be part of something. So it’s really about community outreach, and I think especially in Los Angeles, Southern California, community outreach is really important because a lot of people don’t know that the shelters are full and that they’re euthanizing hundreds of animals just in Southern California every day alone. People don’t know, and I think education and awareness and, of course, spay and neuter, there’s a lot of components to it, but I think just raising the awareness is a huge thing.
TMZ Co-Host: Allison, there’s going to be so many people watching this who love animals. What can somebody out there do if they say, “Hey, I want to help. Maybe I can’t take in an animal right now, but I’d love to help.”
Alison Eastwood: A lot of people are like, “I don’t have extra money to donate,” or whatever, but you can always, most people are on social media, you can always share an animal. I would say community outreach, go to your local shelter or go to your local rescues, Google who the people are doing great work in your community, and you can get towels and blankets and newspaper. You can gather things. You can share animals on social media. You can do a small bake sale or a fundraiser. I had a young girl who raised $1,500 in Wisconsin for us, and they weren’t even in the state, but there’s so many things to do, and I just think that you can do a little something every day to help animals, especially in your community.
Harvey Levin: Well, listen, what you’re doing is fantastic. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.
Alison Eastwood: Thank you guys so much, and I hope you guys will come out and see The Ranch.
Harvey Levin: We would love to come out. You’re always welcome.
Harvey Levin: Thank you, Allison.
Alison Eastwood: Thank you.
Okay, that is near and dear to my heart.