When my cat showed up last Saturday with a broken tail, the vet informed me that an amputation was…read morethe only option. Facing the high cost of the procedure while already in a difficult financial position, I felt completely overwhelmed and started desperately searching for any avenues or options that could help. ​After hitting dead ends elsewhere, I finally made contact with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. Not only did they step in to help me out financially, but they also showed genuine compassion, love, and care that completely carried me through one of the hardest moments I've faced. ​There is simply no way I could have gotten through this without them. Their kindness has had a profound impact on me, and I can honestly say it's going to make me a better person moving forward. There are not enough kind words in the world to express my gratitude. I am forever indebted to this organization. ​Thank you for the financial help, and thank you for showing such deep compassion, love, and care when we needed it most.

UPDATE: My experience with HSSV has opened my eyes to a deeply disappointing reality. As someone…read moreinteracting with a major animal shelter non-profit for the first time, I am amazed by the sheer bureaucracy and fragile egos you have to navigate just to ask for kindness, context, and empathy. After posting my initial honest feedback, a supervisor called to apologize. I do want to acknowledge that Marianne from the adoption team was kind, apologetic, and took the time to listen to my concerns, which I genuinely appreciated. But the Community Services Manager, Denise, subsequently called me back. In an incredibly condescending tone, she flatly denied my newly adopted kitten his standard 14-day post-adoption medical care (routinely offered to all adopters), in what I believe was direct retaliation following my review and complaints about my experience. When a shelter manager chooses to withhold a juvenile animal's healthcare safety net in a way that felt punitive rather than centered on the welfare of the newly adopted kitten, the system is fundamentally broken. No wonder well-meaning people are forced to avoid places like this, and in the process, the innocent animals are the ones who suffer. To the donors funding this organization: please look closely at both sides of the coin. The frontline reality does not match the compassionate mission they sell you. ------------ My main interaction was with Hailey, the adoption supervisor. I understand why HSSV reviews an adopter's history and wants animals in stable homes. What disappointed me was the lack of context, empathy, and actual counseling. I had previously adopted two kittens who were later rehomed together with friends who already knew and loved them. Later, I adopted two more. I kept one, who is still with me and thriving. The other already had significant diarrhea when I adopted her. I cared for her for about ten days until it resolved, paid for her shots, and later returned her after realizing a single-kitten household was a better fit for me. She was adopted within the hour. They don't notice that the kitten went back better than she came from the shelter. About a month later, I returned because I wanted a second kitten. I was choosing between two, but one had active diarrhea. Having just gone through that experience, I asked about her medical notes, how long it might last, the recommended recheck, and what support would be available if it continued. Instead of those questions being treated as part of an informed decision, I felt they were interpreted as evidence that I was "unsure." I was repeatedly asked whether I was sure, warned that another return could affect future adoptions, and told no kitten would be adopted to me that day. I understood being asked to go home and think; what troubled me was that even returning the next day with a clear decision might not be enough. I explicitly asked for help deciding which kitten might be the better fit based on temperament, medical needs, and my circumstances. Instead, the focus stayed on whether I was "sure enough." The previous day was almost the opposite. I was interested in several long-haired kittens still in crates and difficult to assess. I asked to spend time with them in a room and was told no. After about ten minutes, the counselor told me to decide or go to the back of the line. I had to ask for one more minute while she watched the time as I tried to decide about an animal I could care for for the next 15-20 years. That contradiction is my main concern: adopters are expected to make thoughtful, permanent commitments and may be scrutinized if a placement does not work out, yet there can also be pressure to decide quickly without enough opportunity to understand an animal's temperament or medical situation. My issue is not that HSSV screens adopters or has safeguards. It is how those safeguards are implemented. Asking questions, reading medical records, understanding temperament, or needing time to think should not be treated as lack of commitment. I wish the process had felt more supportive.

Can't believe we got the cuddliest lap kitties here! My other cat is a cat distribution backyard…read morecat and we could not desensitize her in time. We came here last minute on a Friday and wasn't able to see any cats as they're closing. Dont go unless you have 2-3 hours before the closing time. The next day we wanted to see 2 kittens but they couldn't locate one of them and they also happened to be part of a bonded pair so we assume maybe they were adopted. We knew we wanted 2, so we asked to see 2 more kittens, and they allegedly gave my partner some attitude but let us see them. We got one free vet visit and went to VCA already, easy and great staff. They were 10 and 13 weeks at adoption, and are quickly growing and such a blessing. No fleas or ticks, both spayed and the older one with rabies shot, both began to do their other vaccine series as well.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience with San José Animal Care & Services regarding a…read morenoisy dog complaint. I invested a significant amount of time documenting the issue, maintaining a detailed log, and collecting audio evidence of the excessive barking. Despite making every effort to provide objective documentation, my complaint ultimately went nowhere. I was informed that the department could not open or review the audio files or links I provided. During a phone conversation, I attempted to play the recordings for Supervisor Flores so she could hear the barking firsthand. Instead of evaluating the obvious evidence, she complained about the noise herself and insisted she couldn't hold a conversation with the barking. Experiencing the barking first-hand only led her to give me unprofessional and rude service over the phone rather than admitting the barking established an issue. The requirement for a second petitioner was another major source of frustration. In my view, a complaint supported by detailed documentation and objective evidence should be evaluated on its own merits. Whether another neighbor is willing to sign a petition should not determine whether a documented nuisance receives attention. Their claim is that it eliminates targeting, but it does the opposite, whereas soliciting around my neighborhood would in fact create a great opportunity for targeting me. The system is backwards. Staff can read the rules off a sheet of paper but when asking the why/reasoning behind these requirements they can't elaborate. Throughout the process, I felt that staff were unable or unwilling to provide meaningful assistance or offer reasonable alternatives for submitting evidence. When I initially attempted to escalate the problem I was transferred and did not receive a call back in a timely manner after leaving multiple voicemails. I asked for the supervisors contact information, and was given the incorrect number for the Supervisor. Rather than working toward a resolution, the process felt focused on procedural barriers that prevented the complaint from moving forward. As a resident, I expect a city department tasked with enforcing nuisance animal ordinances to fairly evaluate documented complaints and provide workable methods for submitting evidence. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. I am left feeling frustrated, disappointed, and with very little confidence that the current complaint process is designed to address legitimate concerns from residents. I sincerely hope the department reviews its procedures for accepting evidence and reconsiders policies that may discourage residents from reporting ongoing nuisance issues. The current process did not leave me feeling heard, supported, or served.

My 15+ yo dog, Bella, passed away early this morning. The SVACA staff couldn't have been more kind…read moreand courteous while they helped me to coordinate post-mortem body care for Bella. As discussed ahead of time, I called to let them know we were on our way. Called them again when we arrived. They came out to wheel her box inside. Light paperwork and billing was all done car side. They made a difficult time easier and relatively brief. I'm very grateful.

I want this photo to resonate with this companies team. I found this kitten left at our companies…read moredoorstep. I called this company to ask if they could help, but they said since the kitten was outside the jurisdiction, they wouldn't help.. Yeah, good job guys, please seek employment elsewhere if you don't want to help.

We found a young sparrow that seemed injured and unable to move much. We sent them videos of…read morecurrent condition of the bird. They were very responsive and asked us to take bird in to them for care. We gladly will be handing bird over to them for medical observation & care. I'm so glad we have organizations like this on our community.

I called for an injured crow from Fremont since our rehabilitation center here is temporarily…read moreclosed for a while. Authorities and resources centers instructed me to contact this facility and a very rude receptionist picked up. I understood that the location could not take in a "Fremont bird" asked her kindly if there are any recommendations of what my next steps would be and she straight up told me "No I can't help you." I hung up and received a message to contact the same place for help and again, was met with the same rude tone from the lady. "Yes you called earlier no we cannot take your bird." lasked her what I should do for overnight care since all of the sites near me are closed and again refused to help me. I am left dumbfounded with the lack of assistance, care, and actual work being put into this. Why hire this person in the first place?

We have adopted two kittens from the HSSV located at the Petco in Saratoga. Both experiences were…read moreexcellent. This time a woman working there named Cat helped us pick out our kitten and answer all our questions. She was very sweet and knowledgeable. Wouldn't have got my baby if she had not been there to help. Thank you! Also a volunteer named Florence was great help too!

I've tried to visit twice now, both times during posted business hours (once mid-day, once evening,…read morea couple months apart) they have been closed both times. The staff at Petco knows nothing about their hours either "it says they should be open...so they should be back there" both times

Update: Barkley gave us 12.5 wonderful years and losing him was tough. Sonny just turned 12, but…read morethis resilient senior pup is still as energetic as ever despite losing his brother. We are so incredibly thankful for this organization for giving us such wonderful pups. They have made our house a home for over 10+ years and we never had any issues with health or behavior until their older age (11+)

I met Loree and Dr Schwartz while doing rescue with another group years ago. The more I come to…read moreknow about them, the more impressed I am with them, and - believe me - I am not easy to impress. They rescue hundreds of animals every year, most from the brink of death. They work tirelessly with other rescue groups and shelters, often taking the toughest cases with the greatest care needs. They take hundreds of "disposable" beagles from the labs who breed and use them for animal testing. They are just incredible. When it was time for me to adopt another dog for own family, Loree and Monte were the obvious choice. I have never had a single regret from any interaction I've had with any individual from this group. Not one. My little yorkie loves her Auntie Loree and Uncle Monte, and I am so glad and grateful they are who they are. Just incredible, the work they do and the way they do it. Among others, in the space of a year, they place dozens of yorkshire terriers, shih tzu, poodles, lhasa apso, beagles, and small dogs off all kinds - most of whom require grooming. If you want a cute little dog who will return your love and devotion ten-fold, contact Toy Breed Rescue. They will tell you how it is.

Don't adopt from them they are rude sent me arise email about a dog I was interested in meeting and…read morethey told me he might be adopted already and fill out an application and drive 150 miles to find a pup already adopted Anja Floyd said this on my email to me: I felt a demanding tone on your behalf! Excuse me I was inquiring about a pet and she want me to fill out an application without even meeting the rescue dog! Cool it Anja Floyd and get a life. I had a dog for 17 years and cats and rabbits. Very unprofessional organization and I would rather adopt a dog or cat from a friendly person and rescue Breeder than one that only wants money

Don't adopt from this group unless you are: a) the "right"…read morekind of family to adopt a pet b) willing to push your way through the 3 or so other families that want the same puppy that you want c) Deal with the fact that the owners play favorites with prospect families. I just came back from a pet fair this morning to meet with our contact, Kathy. Even after two weeks of email correspondence, not only did Kathy refuse to talk to me, but even after I greeted her, she refused to make any eye contact with me (Mind you, we were the only non-white people looking to adopt, so there was definitely a racial undertone.) And that's how it stayed for the ENTIRE HOUR. After driving 300 MILES out to see the puppies, we got very little real contact with any of the senior volunteers up (we had to go up and yank volunteers to ask about adoption details) until the point where we heard "I'm sorry sir, but the puppy you wanted - yeah, he already got picked by someone else." We did not expect much. Hell, we didn't even expect to get a puppy that day. All we expected was the basic human decency that the sole person who was in charge of the WHOLE DAMN PROGRAM have the same courtesy she extended to LITERALLY EVERY OTHER FAMILY. So yah. Racism or assholeness. Now you know what to expect.

We went to an adoption event they were having this weekend and we fell in love with a pair of…read morekittens filled out the adoption application so we could meet them. Spoke with the owner for about thirty minutes before even heading inside to meet them to give her the baseline of things that typically raise concerns to cat rescues. We have two dogs, live in a studio, and they would stay in the bathroom while getting acclimated to us and the dogs. We let the rescue team know both dogs grew up around cats and have never shown any issues and they know to go to the door for potty time (ensuring the back door would not be left open for the cats safety). During this conversation I heavily emphasized and talked about my Pitty mix because she is off weird with people and we won't push that but she has never shown any signs of aggression towards other animals. They were very open to our situation and told us they do a "trial" period to ensure a smooth transition for the cats and even if it doesn't work out after the three weeks we can hand them back over with no ties. We were super excited to find a rescue that seemed open and willing to work with us. I have been the pet industry for over six years so I know how finicky cat rescues can be sometimes and was super excited to thought I have found some place different. We spent 45 minutes looking at the cats and they were absolutely adorable and we wanted to go through with the adoption process. We talked to the owner she approved our application and we set up at time for Monday for her to drop off the cats to us. We were told we would be getting a text from the foster that same evening confirming drop off time and sending over some pictures of the kittens. We didn't get anything that night knowing they were running the adoption event through the weekend and they may be busy we decided to send an inquiry email Sunday at around 3:40 pm. We didn't get a message back until almost 9pm on Sunday. The rescue staff knew both of us worked Monday-Friday so meet up would have to be after than. We went to the pet store on Saturday to buy the basic cat necessities and once we got a message confirming the meeting and that we would be receiving the cats we would order the bigger things (cat tree, things for outside of the bathroom, etc.) but given we weren't texted until 9pm the night before everything had not arrived or is now arriving today (Tuesday). When the foster arrived to our home we immediately felt judgment due to the location of our home. Before entering our home the foster asked to meet the dogs we allowed for her to meet one but again with my pit mix she is ultimately nervous around people and it's not worth stressing her out and the foster let us know that was a "concern" for her but ultimately something I didn't feel comfortable stressing my dog out for. After entering the home it just felt like a very judged and invasive process. Under the impression based on the interactions with the dogs she would not be leaving the cats with us she still proceeded to take pictures of our home which we do not know if they have been deleted or not. Ultimately I do not blame the rescue or the foster as I believe they are doing what they believe is best for the cats but I do also want to warn people that the adoption process was very very invasive and left us with an overall icky feeling. They got our hopes up and seemed super welcoming and willing to work with and then completely flipped when it came to meeting at our home and we were judged for a number of reasons. We set up our home for two new additions and still have materials being delivered to our home with no use now. Ultimately we just find it very rude and distasteful.

I recently applied to adopt a kitten and reached out to her foster. I was very interested and…read moreexcited, as I have a large home I own and years of experience caring for cats throughout their entire lives. I was surprised to be told to "pursue other kitties with other rescues." I completely understand if the kitten I applied for was ultimately a better fit for a home with other cats, and I respect making placement decisions in the animal's best interest. But the way this was communicated felt dismissive and unnecessarily hurtful. This experience has put me off from working with this rescue again. I hope all their sweet cats do find wonderful homes, but I can't recommend this organization based on how adopters are treated.

We went to Tri-City Animal Shelter in Fremont today to meet a few kittens and hopefully decide…read morewhich one--or maybe two--we wanted to bring home. Spoiler alert: we came home with THREE. We arrived around 9:45 on a Wednesday, and I was shocked to see a line out the door before they even opened. I immediately started getting nervous thinking, "Oh no, we're not going to get to the kittens we came to see!" Turns out, several people ahead of us were there to pick up lost dogs. This was actually the first thing that really impressed me about TCAS. The staff was NOT playing around when it came to the care of these animals. Some needed to be microchipped, and some clearly had skin conditions or other issues that needed attention. The staff was adamant that appointments needed to be made, medical issues addressed, dogs chipped, and that they would be following up. They weren't letting anything slide. You could tell these weren't simply animals being processed and handed back over. The staff genuinely cared about what happened to them after they walked out those doors. Then came an interaction I probably won't forget. A woman came in extremely upset about her missing pet. She had apparently been calling since Sunday, but the shelter had been closed. She was screaming and yelling at the woman behind the counter, who remained CALM. Collected. Patient. She explained that they had received her calls but had been closed. Even while being yelled at, she never matched the woman's energy. She simply told her that when she was ready to calm down, she would explain what needed to happen next. As someone who has worked in customer care for over 15 years, I wanted to offer this woman a job--and then ask HER to train ME on patience because apparently I have none compared to her. She was the epitome of kindness and professionalism when she absolutely did not have to be. None of this took away from our experience. We ended up meeting four kittens. One sweet baby just wasn't the right fit for our family, but then we met three brothers: Polo. Henley. Tank. And apparently we have absolutely no self-control because how exactly were we supposed to take two brothers and leave ONE behind?! We couldn't. So yes. We adopted all three. The adoption process for one baby kitten is quite the process. For THREE? We were there for a while. But honestly, if it wasn't for Moria, I don't know if we would have enjoyed hanging out there as long as we did. Several of us were adopting kittens at the same time. One family adopted the CUTEST little calico tripod kitten, and another mom came in while her daughter was at school to surprise her with a kitten. The waiting area is maybe 20x15, so after a while it felt like we were all bonding. Everyone was excited for everyone else. You could literally feel the happiness in that tiny room. Then out comes Moria, the brilliant queen herself, and she basically held kitten-parent orientation for all of us together. She went through everything: how and what to feed them, what they need, which vaccinations they've received, what they'll need next, what to expect when we get home, how long acclimation can take, and how to help them settle in and feel like part of the family. Moria, you made US feel like family before we even walked out the door. And as for Polo, Henley and Tank? Let's just say acclimation is going pretty well. They are already spoiled, already comfortable, still together, and exactly where they belong. Thank you, Moria, for your encouragement, patience, kindness, knowledge, and the mindset you bring to what you do. The world--and Tri-City Animal Shelter--is genuinely better because of you and the staff working alongside you. And JMC--we missed you! Thank you, TCAS, for helping us fill our family in a way we absolutely did not expect when we got out of the car this morning, and for taking care of Polo, Henley and Tank until we could get there.

Fremont animal services is a joke all people I talk to are super rude. No one forced you to take…read morethe job leave if your u happy ridiculous!!! They literally do not want to do their job or help in any way