Animal Shelters
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Experience with Animal Rescue Foundation?
Dec 1999
Does anyone have any first hand experience, positive preferably, with placing a wonderful adult dog in a new adult home? Know anything about the Animal Rescue Foundation in Concord? Holly needs a home without kids, and still has to learn to not bark at other dogs. She has proven herself to be very intelligent and affectionate (to me and the other adults who are around), so I know she'll make someone a great, protective friend. In advance, many thanks!!
I was employed at the Animal Rescue Foundation in Concord for almost a year. They are a wonderful organization and really care about the animals. They take great care in matching the animals with the right owners. If you do not find a suitable home for your chow on your own, I would highly recommend ARF. Terri
Berkeley Animal Shelter
April 2004
Berkeley Animal Shelter is a no kill shelter run by the City of Berkeley's Animal Care Services.
PHONE 510 981 6600. Press 0 for operator assistance at anytime.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-4 pm; Wed. 10 am 'til 7 pm. Sun. 11-3 pm.
Wonderful cats of all ages, many abandonned by owners when they moved, are available for adoption and foster care.
Location on 2nd St. between Addison and Hearst by Aquatic Park, across Railroad Tracks from Brennan's Restaurant. Parking free under University Ave underpass next to Truitt and White Hardware. Or take your bike over the bike overpass to/from the Marina.
Volunteer cat petters always needed; also foster homes for all aged cats.
Taking your Child to Visit the Shelter
If you have a child, or children, who cannot handle disappointment gracefully, pay an initial visit to the animal shelter without your child for a look-see. Bring your young child along with you when you find an animal who might be suitable for your family. Far too often, families have left the shelter with children in tears because they don't understand why they can't have a particular dog or cat, and parents frustrated and unable to spend sufficient time with an animal to determine if he or she might be a good addition to the family.
Adopting Young Animals
Very young (3 months or under) kittens and puppies are often not the best choice for families with children under 6 years of age - too many babies to supervise at once! Think about adopting an adult or teenaged animal that is ready to teach your child how to be a good pet caretaker. Adults can and do bond beautifully with a new family and their personalities are more evident than in very young animals.
I.D. your pets
Help animal shelters return missing and found pets to their owners -- please I.D. your pets. In addition to a collar and tag, think about a permanent I.D. - a tattoo for your dog, a microchip for both dogs and cats. Talk to your vet or a low-cost vaccination clinic for further details. (Good preparation for disasters, too!)
August 1998
I work with an animal activist and volunteer coordinator at the Berkeley animal shelter, who would be happy to personally help anyone find a cat or dog. Her name is Sharon Melnyk and she can be reached at 643-7093. Berkeley Police Dept. Animal Care Services is located at 2013 Second St. (btwn Addition and Hearst); 644-6755; open 9-1, 2-4, Mon.-Sat. Stefanie
Looking for another dog
July 1998
for the person looking for a pet. go to point isable. it is the park directly behind costco in richmond. turn left off of central exit of 80 keep going straight past costco. there is a huge wonderful amzing dog park there which has a post board for free and or puppies for sale. Im postive right now there are some husky shepard mix puppies up there. youll find a good dog from very dog peopl people if you look there. Kimberly
To Pam looking for a second dog: Over the past 4 months my husband and I have made numerous trips to the various pounds and animal shelters in the east bay. We spent a lot of time looking because we were only interested in adopting beagles. I can assure you that there are many pit, shepherd or rott mixes out there. You should not have any trouble finding a good dog. The first beagle we found was at the Oakland SPCA which is near the Coliseum in Oakland. Their facility is very nice and clean. We paid around $50 for the dog. If the pet has not already been spayed or neutered they will require that you promise to have it done. The second beagle we adopted was at the Hayward Animal Shelter which is near 92. The facility is not as nice, but they also have many dogs. The fee there was only $22 for the dog because he also had already been fixed. The fees are a little higher for bigger dogs and for dogs they have to spay or neuter, but this was definitely the cheapest that we had seen. Hayward provided us with a start up kit that contained food and treats for the dog. We brought the first dog with us for the adoption to make sure that the two would get along. While we were taking care of paperwork the staff took turns playing with her, and they threw some extra treats into the care package so we would have enough for both of them.
Since I had never had a dog before, I had been wary of adopting from an animal shelter because I assumed that most were dogs that had problems. I was pleased to see that many of these dogs are really family dogs that have been brought in by people who simply can no longer keep a dog and want to see it go to a home. Both of the dogs we adopted are great pets. They had already been trained and are well behaved in the house, the yard and in public. The staff at the SPCA was very helpful and they are open 7 days a week so I thought they were a great place to start. The shelters will provide you with a list of all the facilities in the area so that you can really shop around. It is also good to remember that if you don't see a dog you like the first week, keep going back, there are always more comming in that need a home. Rose