Pabu is extremely bright and extremely social. He quickly ventured out into the rest of our apartment after starting in our bedroom, and became determined to explore every nook and cranny, and open several drawers along the way! I grew up with one tuxedo cat in particular who was equally cunning when it came to opening cabinets, so in some ways Pabu feels like the reincarnation of an old friend. Having Pabu has really helped during Shelter In Place because he gives me someone to talk to as I navigate the stressful and scary world of pandemic related unemployment

After years of wanting a cat, my boyfriend and I adopted Aurora. The second we brought her home, she jumped out of the carrier and started exploring, then curled right up in our laps. Aurora is really curious and confident, she likes to explore everything new. She’s also a weirdo who only likes sitting on our laps if we’re wearing jeans, so now I have to wear jeans indoors. We’ve been having lots of fun with her Instagram! @aurora_the_galaxy_cat

I’ve always dreamed of having a dog of my own, and was finally able to make that a reality in the middle of COVID. My lease agreement stipulates a 30 pound limit, so I wrote to the SPCA explaining that I was looking for a “mini big dog” who is preferably fuzzy, and as it turns out, a dog had arrived that very same day that perfectly fit the description of my dream dog – I really think Zola and I were destined to be together! The first thing Zola did when we met each other was kiss my face, and from then on I knew she was coming home with me.

I don’t know what the first few years of her life looked like, but it has been an extremely rewarding experience helping Zola come out of her shell and learn to trust the world. So far we’ve conquered stairs and the commands “sit” and “down”. We’ve also learned that urban noises aren’t so scary after all and that other dogs are actually kinda fun to play with. We still don’t totally trust traffic cones or piles of cardboard on the sidewalk, but we’re getting braver every day! It helps to know that when we get home we’re gonna snuggle (and snore!!) the day away together. Zola loves every human she meets, and has charmed my friends, my neighbors, and almost every stranger we meet. I’ve become infinitely more loving and patient for having Zola, and just two months in, I already cannot imagine how I ever lived without her.

We did not expect to adopt two cats together! But when we saw Mister and Rogers and read their descriptions on the East Bay SPCA website – we feel in love with them immediately. We just had to adopt them as a pair. East Bay SPCA was so responsive and helpful pre-adoption and during the adoption.

We kept the names given to our cats by East Bay SPCA: Mister (tabby) and Rogers (black fur). They epitomize the care and love of the real Mr. Rogers. Mister, the more mature of the two, regularly grooms Rogers. Rogers can be shy but Mister looks out for him. East Bay SPCA’s description of these two and why they should be adopted as a pair was right on. Watching Mister and Rogers together brings a warm feeling to our whole family.

I recently moved in with my partner who already has an adult cat—Gabi—who’s very sociable and playful. Quickly we realized that she missed the social interaction she had with the other animals in her former home, so we were on the lookout for a friend.

When we read Artemis’ (then Nikki) profile, it was a perfect match! We knew we could make our home work for both playful creatures, and that they would be good friends in time.

At first Artemis was very shy, but she quickly adapted to her new environment. She’s been very playful, social, and energetic every day since she arrived. Luckily, she was very curious about the other cat (Gabi) she heard through the door, and after a few days she was finally able to play with her. Now they stick to a strict schedule of chasing each other around the apartment and begging for food!

Artemis has helped calm down our other cat, who would seek our attention constantly in the absence of the cats she was accustomed to being around in her former home. Now Gabi’s got someone more on her level to interact with, and it seems to have helped her out quite a bit!

My boyfriend, my best friend, and I moved into our new home in August. We were so happy in a home full of love, we felt we needed to share it! We all decided we wanted a dog to be our companion and our baby. We had all owned pitbulls in the past and love the breed and decided we were going to look for a pitty to give a new home to. We found guy on the East Bay SPCA website and went to meet him. We knew right away he would be perfect for us. We took him home, and although it took some adjusting, he fit right in! We renamed him Cash but we usually are calling him Puppy, Baby, Goober, Goof Ball, etc. He is a ball of love and energy and we love it!

My husband and I had been daydreaming about adopting a second dog for our 9 month old puppy (at that time) to have a companion. After contemplating for months about making that move, we decided that we were going to rescue our second canine child. Jeff quickly jumped on the SPCA website adoptable animals’ list to look at our options. Initially, we came across a foxhound name Whiskey that we absolutely fell in love with over pictures. However, upon arriving at the animal shelter in Oakland, we were told that Whiskey had been adopted. So we began to visit the dogs that were there. And that is when Diva caught our attention. Her sweet little soul came up to the window of her room with her reindeer baby in her mouth, and her tail was furiously whipping side to side full of joy. My 7 year old son was with us at the time, as well, and immediately fell in love with Diva. We took her on a test walk, and she did absolutely so well. She kissed my husband all over his face which made him fall in love even more. Without a doubt and hesitation (not knowing how the puppy would react), we signed our adoption papers and out the door we went!

Diva is extra special to us. The day that she was adopted was also the day that our state’s governor announced the total Shelter in place quarantine due to COVID19. She has been a special emotional support for our elementary age children during the school closure, a patient big sister to our almost 1 year old lab-husky puppy, a cuddle bug to our family. She has caused ZERO trouble for us. She’s extremely obedient and also super friendly to house guests and other children. We love Diva!Diva has been a great asset to our children during the shelter in place school closure as she provides emotional support for them. She’s also very alert to everyone’s stressors at home.

I’ve been a volunteer with the East Bay SPCA for about 3.5 years now. I’ve had dogs all my life and I know there’s no love like dog love. When my fiance and I moved in together, we wanted to start focusing on getting a pup since we had both lost our old ladies in the past few years. I don’t know what made Denali different than ALL the dogs I worked with but with her, I just knew!

It’s been almost a year since we adopted 37lb, 8 month old, Denali (re-named Sidney). She is now 73lbs!!! As soon as we got her home, she immediately bonded with me and my fiance. She loves going on hikes (and is perfect on off leash trails), playing with other dogs, bringing us one shoe (only one, not both), and watching cartoons when we have to leave the house. She is one of the most sassy dogs I’ve ever met in my LIFE and her face has so many expressions that make me laugh. She LOVES peanut butter, carrots, and rice paper bones. Having her during Shelter in Place has been invaluable. She has helped to keep us sane and get out of the house everyday.

I started to really want a dog and started to follow every shelter near us on Instagram. My boyfriend and I chose to just walk in to East Bay SPCA and see if we connected with tang dogs. I planned on getting a small dog. In fact, we even walked one and she was pretty cute. However, my boyfriend had eyes for the biggest dog in there, Bruce! Bruce has been the only dog not barking and sleeping. When we took him out for a walk, he kept stopping to give us kisses! We didn’t pick him up until the next day but when we did, he ran so fast to us he did a flip and ran into our arms.

Bruce is a mastiff mix and he has really captured everyone’s hearts. Friends who were scared of dogs, neighbors, and even family rave about him. He truly has broken the bully stigma for some which is a great conversation to have. His favorite things were sunbathing and laying on our lap. We constantly makes us smile as he scratches his back and does bicycle kicks in the air. He also brings you a you every time you come home and let’s out a little happy growl. He loves ALL animals and all people and it’s beautiful. We decided to foster during SIP and he was the best foster brother ever. Teaching dogs to use the doggy door, tricks, and sharing his toys. He now has a brother from a foster fail. He just has the biggest heart and we are so lucky!

Every since Dylan and I met each other, we’ve dreamed of adopting a dog. We both grew up rescuing, and were eager to add a furry friend to our family. We found Hermes (now Rufus) online and knew we had to meet him. Seeing Rufus for the first time, he was incredibly timid. Tail between his legs, uneasy meeting us, but we knew despite his unknown past and behavioral challenges, that we had to have him. We adopted him on the spot and he’s been with us now for 2 1/2 weeks.

When we first got Rufus he was scared of the world – people, dogs, walks. While he was quick to warm up to us, it took a few days before we got comfortable with his apartment and his toys. Fast forward to 2 1/2 weeks later it feels like he’s been with us for a lifetime. He loves playing fetch, can go to his crate on command, and confidently walks the streets of San Francisco with a new-found curiosity for people and dogs (of any size!). He’s incredibly affectionate, and loves to cuddle more than anything. He has the biggest heart, and can make us smile no matter how we’re feeling. Both of us feel so lucky to have found him, and can’t wait to continue providing the best life possible for Rufus. Thank you East Bay SPCA for bringing us together!

I’ve been wanting to foster cats for a while. I cat sit often but haven’t had a pet of my own in a long time. I fostered two other cats at first — noisy teenagers! But really wanted to foster Sparkling Twinklepuff (now Tink, short for Tinkerbell). She was sadly in quarantine for a long time. But I finally got an email from SPCA that she was available to foster. Immediately I knew she was the kitten for me, so I decided to adopt her.

Tink is very unique looking and so is her personality. Tortie cats love to party and she is no exception — high energy. She chases anything and jumps off surfaces and even does flips. She’s also very cuddly and never stops purring, even while she’s playing. Tink has a cute, tiny raspy meow until she really wants your attention. Even after her spay surgery, she was back to her silly self the same day. Tink is a very sassy, loving kitten and I’m so happy she’s a part of my family.

I adopted the best 2 year old cat from the East Bay SPCA named Sushi (formally known as Sir Purrs-A-Lot)…sometimes I call him both names since this boy is ALWAYS purring! I have been wanting to adopt a kitty friend for sometime now, since I no longer had my childhood cats.

One Sunday morning, my roommate wanted to go look at the animals at the SPCA so I decided to go with her and I’m SO happy that I did because I fell in love with my Sushi man instantly! He wanted all the pets and love so I couldn’t leave without him! I adopted him that day and brought him home….the next day I was so sad to leave him to go to work but it was totally meant to be because that Monday was the day I was told we would be off work for a month due to to the Coronavirus.

Sushi has made my days in quarantine SO much more enjoyable and has given me such a purpose and joy everyday! I love him so much and I don’t know how I’ll ever return to work after spending the whole entire days with him! My roommate also enjoys having Sushi around as he always cheers us up.

My daughter and I went in to volunteer at the shelter and we ended up adopting an unexpected and perfect addition to our family. It only took one minute with Benjamin to know he was ours.We have a dog, fish, a gecko, but we’ve never owned a cat before, and now we’ve been absolutely spoiled. Benjamin is absolutely perfect!

Our poor boy-kitty was sick on the way home from the shelter, and sat patiently and didn’t complain for a moment when we gave him a bath at home. Amazing! And then when the time came to take him to the vet for his check-up we simply put the carrier down and and he hopped right in. Is he incredible, or what??

Now we fall asleep and wake up to purrs, kisses and snuggles. We didn’t know we had a whole in our heart until our Benjamin filled it.

I met Cooper and his brother Blaze on the same day and instantly fell for Cooper. His sweet disposition and adorable puppy face warmed my heart.
Cooper has added so much joy to my life. I’m single and have no children and wanted the companionship of a loving pet. Having him in my life has brightened my spirit. We attend puppy training classes, go to the dog park and cuddle on the couch when he’s sleepy.

As a result of taking care of him I am also taking better care of myself and have dropped 15lb since he came home with me. Walking twice a day will do that!

I highly recommend adopting a shelter dog and the East Bay SPCA was easy and enjoyable to work with during the adoption process. Thanks to them, I now have a best friend to keep me company and many years of fun times ahead to look forward to.

It was August 18, 2018, National Clear the Shelter Day. Although I had no idea what that meant, I was on a search for a small pup, a cuddle buddy, and I went home with a 52 lb. American bulldog. Miss Piggy was so shy and scared. She wasn’t very fond of humans (men in particular) & seemed to have very little interest in other dogs. Fast forward to today she absolutely loves all other dogs and has gotten used to select humans but still has a very sweet demeanor. We did a DNA test and this month she will be turning two. I may have not gotten the little cuddle dog I was expecting; I got a big cuddle dog and could not be more happy. Miss Piggy’s stay at Dublin SPCA was short but she appreciates all the good care she got there!

Starla was adopted on May 11, 2019. She has been renamed Tempe and is a great addition to the family! We drove up from Southern California to get her and, after a long drive home, she settled into life in our home perfectly. She has become more relaxed around the house and is learning her neighborhood so she feels comfortable going on walks a couple times a day. She loves her fur-siblings and also loves her human family and follows us around the house to be part of what we are doing. Tempe is a very sweet girl and quickly became the favorite because of her sweet nature and calm temper. We are so happy we adopted her!

I adopted my Kiki Baby, formerly know as Elsa almost 3 weeks ago now. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is the sweetest thing and very friendly to everyone she encounters. The shelter labeled her as a shy kitty but I find her to be very outgoing. I went to the shelter look for a male cat about her age but when I saw her I was in love. She has the prettiest blue eyes and the softest most beautiful fur. I can’t wait to get her a friend to play with once I feel we are both ready for that. I want to thank the shelter so much for taking care of her and making me her forever mommy!

Baylee (formerly Josie) has been such a delight and we are so happy that she is a part of our family. We cannot see it any other way now!

I’d like to share our story and would be open to having it shared because it really changed us!

We had considered buying a puppy from a breeder for a long time (reputable one- I always do extensive research and work with the local breed club!). Our first dog was purchased from a show dog breeder. To be honest I will never purchase another dog, being from a reputable breeder or not.

On a random Friday, my fiancée and I started sharing different shelter dogs back and forth. I saw Baylee (josie) on your site and her description sounded like the perfect match for our current dog. I felt compelled to go see her ASAP. We fought traffic and when we got there we fell in love. There was no turning back!

In the process of waiting for a litter of puppies, we kept talking about adoption.  Something was really nagging on me in my heart about it. It was almost like a sign. There are so many dogs that need homes and are far too often overlooked because they aren’t a pure bred or have a definitive “title” as to what they “are”. Also, too often shelter dogs are over looked as having mental or physical issues. Which is completely false! Any dog could potentially have issues. Adopting Baylee has inspired us to become more involved in animal rescue. We have already started putting together a donation for things on your shelter “wish list”. Baylee has inspired our family to be more compassionate and to really advocate adoption over buying a puppy.

Everyone at East Bay SPCA is so friendly, kind and truly cares about the animals. I cannot speak more highly of your organization and the adoption process.

I know this was a bit of a lengthy email, I really wanted to explain how much Baylee and adopting changed our lives for the better.

Hi, I adopted Oliver (formerly Pookie) on December 15th 2018. Thank you East Bay SPCA for rescuing him and introducing us! Oliver is such a sweet and sometimes quirky little guy. He loves every human and dog he meets! He loves to eat and no matter where he is in the house, he will run into the kitchen whenever he hears someone opening the fridge or cabinets. His favorite snacks are cucumbers, frozen papaya, pineapple, banana and peanut butter. He loves to go out for walks and long snoozes after. He has 3 beds placed in different locations throughout the house but prefers my or my son’s bed. He has also taken over one of our couches! He does not like bicycles or loud noises and absolutely hates puddles. He will walk around them if he can or over them on his tippy paws. It’s hilarious to see! We love this little guy so much and are so happy he came into our lives.

My boyfriend and I came to the East Bay SPCA in Oakland just to ask questions and look around in preparation for adopting at some point in the near future when this big little boy stole our hearts!

His name is now Raja but when we met him his name was King. He had just lost a tooth and was one day into recovering from being neutered, but still had the most sweet and joyful nature!

This king of a goofball at 4 months and 42lbs has stolen our hearts and we can not thank the staff of the East Bay SPCA enough for helping us find our forever furry friend!

Our dog, Ripley, passed away on July 6^th. We thought we would wait a year before our meeting next furry friend. Little did we know, these decisions are far from time based. 

After kiddingly posting a dating ad on Facebook for Sara, my first fur baby, a friend mentioned a dog at the East Bay SPCA that may be a good fit for our family. Of course, I laughed and said we weren’t looking but followed up with a million questions and scrolled through every picture of him. I casually mentioned Oscar to my husband and we agreed to meet him when we were at the Oakland facility for another event in the near future.

At the East Bay SPCA, Oscar strolled out to meet us – he was a perfect gentleman on leash, had a loveable under bite, sat for pets and snuggles and kissed like he had found his new family. He hadn’t been neutered yet, so we agreed he was a good boy and went home. Days passed and when he was available for adoption it required no discussion. He was coming home.

As Oscar settled in, we noticed that although he was his own, unique, good boy, we saw glimpses of our Ripley. They both had this subtle yet hilarious dance while I prepared their meals. They were both lap dogs, Oscar tipping the scales at 80 pounds. They both were happy to be dogs and looked at us often with that adorable smile only pit/ pit mixes have. I knew our Ripley filled the dog sized hole in our hearts with a new friend who needed a family.

He has brought so much to our home, including getting our older Sara Dog to play with toys and show her puppy spirit as her body ages. He laid his big ole head on my lap while I mourned the loss of my Henrietta kitty. Day to day, he greets me with a melt-your-heart smile, tail wags and more love than I dreamed of.

We found Russell at the Oakland SPCA in November of 2016. We were looking for a dog, and didn’t connect with any, so were walking out the door. The associate at the desk asked us what type of dog we were looking for, and she directed us to Russell. We took him for a walk, and he was a total champ…and came home with us that day.

Russell is SO social, we swear that his perfect career would be as a Walmart Greeter. He gets along with other dogs, cats and any person he encounters.

He is at a whopping 92 lbs, loves “all the walkies”, and is incredibly affectionate.

He minds well (with a bit of a stubborn streak), has no interest in toys of any kind, gets severe car sickness (we want to take him with us, but can’t) and has a VERY distinct, playful personality.

He is SO dreamy and has changed our lives for the better.

Thank you Oakland SPCA for helping us find Russell, and helping him find his forever home.

I found Princess Diva when she was 3 months old two weeks new to Oakland SPCA in February 2016. I was looking for a small dog to love and spoiled. When I turned the corner and saw “Karen”, I knew she was the one. We bonded for the first time our eyes locked. She was so tiny, withdrawn and afraid. Now Princess is the live of the party and the neighborhood kids. She brings so much joy and love to everyone she encounters including my 1 1/2 year old grandson.

We adopted Gina Marie June 2nd We had forgotten what a challenge adopting a kitten is. They take a lot of work, but they have so much love to give Gina just turned 8 months old And we love her to pieces she’s a big cuddle bug and still a lot of fun. She plays catch and taught herself how to fetch. She is the best!

I went to the Dublin location knowing I looking for an oder cat to be my companion. I slowly went through the cat section when suddenly I saw 3 year old Guava. I asked to enter her enclosure and there was an immediate connection between us.

So, I adopted my Pumpkin (Guava) on 7/26/2015, my birthday. She was shy, but that was ok. Over the years, she became my loving companion. She would head butt my chin so I knew to give her kisses on top of her head.

In June of 2018 she was diagnosed with cancer. It was an aggressive cancer and her prognosis was 2-4 months, but she was a fighter. She held on for 5 months giving love and accepting love everyday.

We miss her and always will. Am I ready for another, no, not yet. But one day I will open my heart to another.

We adopted Haskell (formerly Trigato) over a year ago. My husband got my first cat a few months earlier and I needed another kitty in my life. I had no intention of getting a 3 legged cat but this little guy jumped up on my lap and started affectionately head butting me an I didn’t have a choice. I was surprised that he can do basically all the cat things with just 3 legs.
He is so adorable it hurts. He purrs and meows. So cuddly when he is in the mood. He has this adorable little barrel roll that is so cute. And he has so much personality and is very entertaining.
We had a hard transition initially where our cats didn’t get along for several months and had to be separated but now they coexist and I am really glad we trusted that it would work.

We adopted Napua from the Dublin EBSPCA
and she is one happy girl! She has adjusted to her new forever home and getting along with her brother, Boomer, a mini aussie. She is a real love bug and she is doing well on leash, going on walks. We are so glad we found her and she all that we could have asked for in companion and addition to our family!

In 2015, my husband and I visited the Oakland SPCA to meet a cat we had seen on the website. We met the cat, but did not feel a real connection, so we decided to leave and come back another day. On the way out, we casually peered through the other cat rooms and that is when we saw Sasha. We did not officially meet Sasha, we simply paused to admire her through the glass and then made our way back to our car. We left empty-handed because we decided that maybe we should not get any more cats, since we already had one at home. But days later, I found myself thinking about Sasha. So we returned the next weekend only to discover Sasha had a respiratory infection and was not on the adoption floor. We figured it was a sign that we really did NOT need another cat, so we left. Another week went by and once again I could not stop thinking of Sasha’s cute face (she is a tabby and at the time she was about 16lbs). A couple of weeks later, I called the SPCA and found that Sasha had been transferred to the Dublin location and was still available for adoption. My husband and I drove to Dublin that weekend and officially adopted Sasha. It has been 3 years, and I still love telling the story of how Sasha came into our lives. And although she is not friends with our other cat, the two manage to tolerate each other. I am also happy to report that Sasha just celebrated her 7th birthday and has lost 6 lbs in total!