We adopted a 2 year old kitty from Hopalong at Woodland Pet in Bon Air Center. We had just recently…read moresaid goodbye to our beloved cat who was 20 years old and had been the best companion for us. We weren't looking to get a new kitty so soon, but Dharma was in the back of the store and she was very sweet. They let us play with her and our dog was with us, so we took turns being near Dharma and allowing our dog (who loves our cats) to see her from a distance. All went well. We learned that she had been in the store for a while and had a rough life before she was taken to the shelter. Fast forward to today--she cuddles with my husband who has been very ill and she is his best friend. She learned how to win over the resident cat (with lots of time and some help), and she and our Husky and best friends. She's earned the nickname Drama because she's very good at getting into mischief. The support information from Hopalong was useful. We've had cats our entire lives and still each cat is unique. Having resources at hand is great! The people at Woodland Pet were very helpful in vetting us to make certain that we would be a good, safe home for Dharma and that she would be happy with us. They sent us home with supplies and toys. Because of their continued interest, our dog and I go back to show them photos of Drama earning her nickname.

What a great experience with Marin Humane + Hopalong. My partner and I lost our pug earlier this…read moreyear in January. We adopted her from the shelter when she was two and she lived all the way to fifteen. She was everything to us. After she passed, we waited a while before feeling ready to adopt again. In the meantime, I followed a ton of Bay Area rescue groups on Instagram and checked the Petfinder app regularly. We knew we were drawn to flat-faced breeds, but the most important thing was finding a dog that could get along with our two cats. We actually found a Frenchie through another rescue and even went to meet him at an adoption event. Unfortunately, his foster parent said he didn't do well with other dogs and probably not with cats either. That was a dealbreaker for us. About a month later, during the week of July 4, I came across Sally Sitwell (now renamed Winnie) on Petfinder. Her profile mentioned that she was good with cats, and she sounded perfect for us. I applied right away but didn't hear back for a few days, so I was worried she might have already been adopted. But I totally understood since it was a holiday week and I'm sure they received a ton of applications. Eventually, I got an email from Ruthie, a volunteer, to schedule a 1:1 phone interview. She was really warm and easy to talk to. She explained that she usually handles phone interviews for people interested in brachycephalic breeds since she has experience with them. I shared our story about our late pug and everything we went through with her including surgeries, seizures, and IVDD, and Ruthie could tell we were familiar with the breed's needs. She planned to coordinate a meeting with us, the dog, and the foster parent, but she was going to be out of town. So she looped in Alex from Hopalong and Francesca, the foster mom, so we could set something up directly. We coordinated a visit to meet Winnie at Hopalong in Oakland. I really appreciated how flexible and communicative everyone was. It felt like everyone genuinely wanted the best for this dog. When I first met Francesca and Winnie, I lit up. Winnie was even more adorable in person and so much smaller than I expected. Francesca was such a kind person. She already had a Frenchie and cats, so you could tell she really loves animals. She walked us through all of Winnie's little quirks and her daily routine. A few minutes later my partner arrived and I ran out to get him. I told him right away, "You're going to love her, she's so adorable." The moment he walked in and saw her, he was smiling ear to ear. We ended up spending about 30 minutes with Francesca, chatting and also sharing more about ourselves so she'd feel reassured that Winnie would be going to a loving home. Toward the end of our visit, Alex, the program manager, came out to meet us. She was super bubbly and also a Frenchie owner. We let her know we were all in and wanted to move forward with the adoption. We asked if we could pick Winnie up the next day since we had a bunch of supplies being delivered like her crate, food, and bowls. Francesca was so accommodating and let us come to her house the next day to get her. The whole experience was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. There were no awkward moments and we felt supported from start to finish. I would recommend this rescue to anyone. Now Winnie is completely spoiled. We originally planned to have her sleep in her crate but that lasted exactly one night. She's now in the bed with us. She's been to the dog park, joined us on restaurant patios, come to work with me, and even had a few spa days. After hearing about her rough start to life, being used for breeding and then dropped off at the Hayward animal shelter, we knew we wanted to give her the best life possible. She is truly the sweetest, most loving dog we could have asked for. We're so grateful to everyone at Marin Humane + Hopalong for bringing her into our lives.

I have to admit Something!!!…read more I Love Dawgs !!! I think the Oakland SPCA does a Great job of Caring for Animals especially Dawgs !!! Every time I Visit the Dawgs they Seem Very Clean , Healthy and Happy!!!! Lately I been visiting more often!! My Sister is a Big time Dawg Person!!! She lost her Puppy to Old Age 3 Months ago!! She called me up recently and said she was coming to get me!!! We rolled to the SPCA !!! She had seen a Litter of French Bullies /Chihuahua Puppies on their Website!!! We got there before they Opened!! We were the first ones in !!! We visited the Puppies and a Merle Puppy chose my Sister and I !!! So we went to the Puppy Playroom With the Merle and had a Ball with her . The Puppy was so Cute she licked my face then fell asleep in my arms!! My Sister adopted her and named her Killua !!! This is a Baller On A Budget Approved Establishment!!! I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong!!! Number 34 of the Top 50 most Prolific Yelp Elites of 2025!!!!

Super impressed with the vet clinic at the EAST BAY SPCA. Last week saw a Great doctor/dentist who…read moregave thorough explanation of her diagnosis. Vet tech also great at keeping me informed as to progress, details, and expedited blood test, too. Today, i Just dropped off fec. sample to reception and Marina not only expedited, but remembered my name and my cat Onyx's name, too!! Sheesh, I can't remember what I had for breakfast! And she must see dozens of people per day. She also explained exactly when test results come back, costs for services VERY CLEARLY all while managing batch of others in waiting area. Altogether a very well-run clinic with top notch professionals in all departments.

I have now adopted THREE pets through OAS - our beloved shepherd husky doggy Layla, and a pair of…read morebonded kittens Apollo and Athena. I am SO grateful to OAS for the incredible work that they do to care for animals in need and find them loving homes. The adoption process was so streamlined, straight-forward, and affordable! They take care of all the early animal care - each of my pets had been spayed/neutered and had received all of their early vaccines - this would ordinarily cost a LOT had it not been taken care of by OAS! Most importantly, each of the additions to our home has brought our family so much love and richness. THANK YOU OAS for bringing us together and for the important work you do every day.

I recently started fostering a bunny for OAS and they are really wonderful. The folks working and…read morevolunteering there care so much about animals and put a lot of effort in to getting them in to foster homes and adopted. For example they have instagram pages for the senior dogs and the rabbits to help promote them more. Please consider fostering or adopting from OAS! And please know that the crisis of animals in needs is not the fault of rescues and shelters, it's the fault of breeders and buyers who keep exploiting animals for profit. As the saying goes "don't breed or buy, while shelter animals die" Separately from fostering, I do mutual aid with some unhoused folks and their dogs. One friends dog who I had gotten spayed ended up getting hit by a car and thankfully OAS received her body and was able to contact us so that her guardian could have closure and we could honor her life properly. It's not an easy job that OAS is doing, but they are saving lives in an ongoing crisis of abused and unwanted animals.

Such a lovely place with an awesome mission (and the coffee is good as well). My daughter loves to…read morehang out with the kitties and I have to use up all my willpower to not adopt all of them kitties. Go, visit thew cats and help them out to keep the place open. Drink your coffee there, don't be shy!

My best friend and I booked the yoga class with cats on a Tuesday evening. The last time I visited…read moreCat Town was during the pandemic and all of the cats were taking a nap, so I didn't have any hopes of the cats being up and about for this yoga class. I was pleasantly surprised when we came in and at least 20+ cats were up and playing. The yoga teacher was very friendly and nice. She ended up teaching more of an advanced yoga class and it was a little hard for me to keep up with all of the new yoga poses. Unfortunately, it was one of those random hot days in Oakland where it was about 85 that day. Inside doing yoga and having the cooling system not fully on for the class, made it a bit uncomfortable. Other than that, it was a great experience. The cats were too funny with their own little personalities. I wanted to take them all home!

Underdog was incredible. The whole process, from start to finish, felt incredibly considerate and…read morecaring. In our case, we have two kids, and really wanted to make sure the dog was a good match before we introduced them. That model isn't a great fit for shelters where they (understandably) want the whole family to meet the dog, and won't place a hold to let grownups prescreen first. Not so with Underdog! We completed our initial form, had an email exchange, and then a video call, just grownups. There was no rush, and absolutely no pressure - such a wonderful difference from what we'd experienced elsewhere. Once we felt like this was a good fit, we included the kids. Our foster was incredible. She was responsive, caring, kind, and compassionate, and it totally opened our eyes to how this process can go when it is handled so skillfully. Moreover, she gave us a fabulous download of information, all super actionable and helpful. We came home with healthy, realistic expectations, and tons of tools and resources to get us started. All this is to say, thanks to Underdog, we got connected with our pup - and our family is completely in love.

Underdog needs to improve with communication,follow through,they gave me a timeline on when they…read more would contact me about a pet I applied for and gave me no response on pet availability.I felt disappointed about not being able to adopt the pet I wanted.I applied fifteen days ago and heard nothing.This rescue is only about how much they can profit on their so called rescues,don't waste your time contacting them.

My triend and I had an impromptu Taco Bell picnic at Crown Beach when this adorable little pup…read moreappeared. Rather, someone was trying to find him a home. He was part of a surprise litter. She knew just what to do and off we went to FAAS! His temporary name is Bell Grande. This is the most chill little puppy! Calm, quiet and always willing to accept a snuggle! FAAS said to bring Bell Grande in so they could begin the process of finding him a fur-ever home!!! Please help them help him!

Located at South Shore Center, Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter is a volunteer run satellite…read morelocation of the main animal shelter. We went in here to check out the animals and were so excited to see they had rabbits and cats. We were peering into a visiting room when a couple walked out and said we could go in. I stayed outside to wait for my husband and kids while they pet the cat. A volunteer came up and did what I could only describe as chastising us for going in without asking anybody for help and said having 3 people in there at a time was too many. While she was saying this, I was looking around at all the signage to see where we could've probably missed this as I'm not one to break posted rules nor do I encourage my family to. Finally, amidst tons of signage, I saw a small paper sign directing people to ask for help. Regardless, that encounter soured my mood and we left after visiting with another cat.

I visited this place with my wife and I a number of times. We had been looking for the right dog…read morefor so long, and I'm glad the team of volunteers were able to help me so kindly. This is the cleanest shelter I've been to by far, you can tell the volunteers here really care about the animals there. They always have new kittens and pups!! Perfect amount of space in their back area to get to know the baby you want. They even have a section of free clothes, toys, and everything you need for your dog and cat donated kindly from people in the neighborhood. I really love this shelter. A reminder to adopt not shop!!

I came to the Berkeley Humane Society after being told they were providing a free health clinic on…read moreSaturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7. This included free spay and neuter services with advanced sign-up. The staff and volunteers were absolutely amazing--so kind, organized, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire experience. One of the sponsors was Tony LaRussa and LaRussa Rescue, along with other rescue organizations. Tony and his wife were there during our visit, taking time to chat with people and personally thanking everyone for coming, which was incredibly touching. I've been wanting to visit this shelter for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity. The dedication and compassion of everyone here truly shows. An amazing place filled with amazing people.

We recently adopted Astro, aka Apollo at Rocket mobile adoption. The support staff is amazing. They…read morehelped made the transition for Astro to our home as easy as possible. The staff is very friendly and even assigned an advocate to Astro. If we have any questions or concerns, we contact his advocate and they've been quick to response. Rocket is a non profit that is operated efficiently

A little more than a year after our pup Buddy left us, we decided to get a new friend for our other…read moredog. My wife insisted we rescue a dog in need of a family. Rocket Dog's adoption process is fairly simple. While it costs a bit of money, the money pays for initial shots and neuter/spay. They ensure the dog will be in good health and has been taken care of while waiting their turn. Our rescue Lola was approx five years old and was found wandering the streets. Lucky for us she came already potty trained and knew how to play fetch. That was a bonus! As is the case with some chihuahuas, It took some time before she 100 percent trusted us, probably longer than normal. But with some time and a lot of patience she has turned out to be a wonderful addition to our family. There are opportunities to foster dogs if you're so inclined and they can always use more volunteers. They have morning and evening shifts and you can also volunteer at their community adoption clinics. It's been known to happen that a volunteer adopts a dog. I think it happens a lot! Thank you to all the staff and volunteers! And thank you of course, to the founder. She makes it all happen!

Reply to owner: You are so rude. Rude people like you should not be allowed to run any…read moreorganization because your communication skills are so terrible. It's better my dogs were overweight, well-loved and spoiled with food unlike those unfortunate dogs that are neglected, malnourished and starved. My dogs were up-to date on all annual exams and NOT unhealthy. I ended up taking them to Miranda's rescue in Fortuna. Just an FYI to those in desperate circumstances and need to place their pets in legitimate rescue. Contact any other location except this one. To the owner, you also have a bad reputation on Nextdoor and other Platforms for your feisty attitude. Try to learn compassion or change the field you are in. When you move out of your long term house and can't take your dogs to circumstances out of your control -- DO NOT REACH OUT TO BAD RAP. They will not try to help you.

I ruv, ruv, ruv this organization!…read more As dog lovers, we were aware that pitties had a bad reputation, but didn't think too much about it. We know that most dogs are good unless mistreated. Then we fell in love with and adopted our Mei Mei from the Alameda County shelter. She's a blue nose pit mix. And we learned how truly feared these lovable beasts are. Mei Mei loves everyone: children, adults, little dogs, big dogs. She's been a super foster sister to numerous rescue dogs from Dusty Paws Rescue, and is a cuddle bunny and kissing alarm clock to my two young girls. So it's always startling to see the terror in the eyes of some people on meeting her. And the hotel rules at some pet-friendly hotels ("No pits or pit mixes"). Someone told me about Bad Rap, and I started following them. Their mission is to change the overwhelming misconceptions about these dogs. They do this in lots of important ways. - Offering free spay, neutering and vaccinations to pit owners who can't afford it - Running a shelter/foster program and socializing dogs so they can be cherished family members - Teaching the importance of training and responsible dog ownership, which is relevant regardless of breed - Providing free training classes - Evangelizing pittie lovableness with a great website, Facebook presence, and adorable calendars Yesterday, we attended their open house in Berkeley, "Fool in Love". We got to see their classes in action, check out the spay/neuter van, meet many amazing volunteers, and get tons of slobbery dog kisses from adoptable blockheads. Keep it up, Bad Rap. I'm with you.