Luckily for us (and the dogs), this isn’t the situation everywhere in the country. So we reached out to our friends at the Idaho Humane Society who have so few small dogs that they were enthusiastic about taking some from us and  helping us reduce the number of small dogs at OAS.

Last weekend, a team of people gathered at the shelter at 5 a.m. to prep and load fifty small dogs for a cross country trip.  Two of our incredibly dedicated volunteers, Carrie C. and Janet C. agreed to make the trek with the dogs, funded by Friends of Oakland Animal Services, and what a successful trek it was! The staff at the Idaho Humane Society were delighted to receive the dogs, and within just twelve hours of arriving, one of the dogs had been adopted! Calling on partners like this is the only way we can effectively care for an ever-growing dog population.

But the trip was more than just the transport of fifty of our dogs. It was also perfect example of why we need to encourage people everywhere to get their animals spayed or neutered. While it is a blessing that we have groups in other states ready and willing to take an overflow of dogs from us, we know that spaying and neutering need to become standard practice. Until they do, we will never make a dent in the number of dogs across the country—let alone those in Oakland—who need loving forever homes.

We send out a special “Thank you!” to all our partners, and especially the Idaho Humane Society. We couldn’t do it without you!

Join our friends and partners at Our Pack for a night of food and drink, dancing and silent auction shopping to support the tremendous work they do with Pit Bulls.  Our Pack is an instrumental partner is helping us care for the large number of bully breed dogs that come to OAS.  We’re thankful for their support and expertise.  You can learn more and purchase tickets here.

Do you want to experience the joy of helping a shelter cat or kittens without the commitment of adoption? Why not foster for Cat Town, a nonprofit formed to help cats from Oakland Animal Services? Cat Town will deliver the cat to you, along with all the supplies you need, and do whatever it takes to find your foster cat a permanent home. Please contact info@cattownoakland.org to learn more!

(Update: Read the SF Chronicle story about her here.) This is Pup-pouri Briana Wine, a champion shih tzu who was born and raised in Oklahoma and traveled all across the country to compete in dog shows. Here she was in her glory days:

How did she go from that glamorous life to being abandoned on the streets of Oakland, horribly matted and neglected?  When she was brought to Oakland Animal Services yesterday, we lifted her tail and saw that she had a large piece of chicken wire embedded in the mats on her stomach.  The matted fur on her ears also had the clear imprint of chicken wire.

We quickly realized that she must have been kept in a tiny cage made of chicken wire where she was unable to move and her fur grew around the wire.  Someone then must have cut around the chicken wire to free her and she ended up as as a stray in Oakland.

She had a microchip that we traced back to her original owner in Oklahoma who told us her amazing history. This dog was the puppy of a four-time “best in show” shih tzu and then she became a champion show dog, Pup-Pouri Briana Wine.  The breeder then sold Pup-Pouri Briana Wine and all of the dogs in that litter to another breeder and then they sold them all to a woman in California about eight years ago.  The original owner was shocked to see Pup-Pouri Briana Wine in such horrible condition and stated that over the years she has gotten calls about three of the other littermates who were found as strays in California in terrible shape.  Friends of Oakland Animal Services is offering a $1000 reward for information that leads to the identification and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for her neglect.  Please call 510-535-5602 with any leads to solve this mystery.

Pup-pouri is now recovering comfortably at Oakland Animal Services and will be available for adoption soon.

A week later, several of the Oakland Animal Services (OAS) animal control officers responded to a call that took them to a vacant apartment with the front door wide open.   Inside, the officers found a little Bichon Frise, sitting in filth, with no food or water. The dog, they discovered, was microchipped, but the phone number registered with the chip was disconnected. Determined, one of the animal control officers, Tanya Strong, checked Craigslist, scouring the “lost and found animal” section, and found an ad for a missing dog that matched the description of the Bichon that was now at the shelter. Officer Strong contacted the dog owner who had placed the ad, the woman came to OAS, and she was delighted to identify the dog as hers. We were able to reunite one very happy Snowbie with his family!

This story emphasizes the importance of not leaving your dog unattended in public places—not even for a few minutes. It also points out how important it is to have your animal microchipped and to keep that information up to date. If you do lose your animal, a microchip is the surest way for it to be found and returned to you. We microchip Oakland dogs and cats at OAS for just $10.

A few years ago, some of the staff and volunteers of Oakland Animal Services came up with an idea that is changing the lives of felines housed at the shelter.  Space constraints at the shelter had made it difficult to give the cats the one thing that most of them really wanted: space to climb higher than is possible in the standard cat condo. Other key concerns included disease and stress –kitties in shelters often develop upper respiratory infections, creating a vicious cycle of stress and ill health. One option that was developed to remedy these issues was the cat hammock.  We weren’t sure at the time if it would work, but we knew it would be worth a shot to see if stress and disease could be reduced during the cats’ stay at OAS.

Just as we had hoped, this ingenious idea solved several problems. The hammocks provided each cat a comfy space to curl up in, gave them the vertical space they craved and cut down on the prevalence of stress-induced upper respiratory infection, which is common in cats living in a shelter.

In addition, the design of the hammock is such that it doubles as a cage cover for those cats who are easily frightened and need a secluded place to hide. This is especially important for cats in a shelter environment, where coping with the noises and smells from so many other animals can be difficult. Needless to say, the hammocks, which have now been in place at the shelter for several years, have been the answer to many of the problems we had been facing. This may seem like a small thing, but it makes a big difference in the lives of shelter cats.

If you like to sew and would like to make kitty hammocks, please email oaklandsanimals@yahoo.com.

Van Winkle came to us in April 2011 as a terribly matted dog, unable to move due to the constrictions of his mats. The muscles in his legs had atrophied, his ears were terribly infected and we weren’t sure he would make it. You can read his full story here. Slowly but surely, Van Winkle showed us what a strong spirit he had. Friends of Oakland Animal Services generously stepped up to assist with his care and subsequent surgeries; a foster home was found for him and so began his months of rehabilitation to the happy, healthy dog he is today.

Last weekend, Van Winkle’s new family came to visit him and instantly fell in love. The Walkers are already proud parents to a sweet Cocker Spaniel named Hershey. The Walkers had been contemplating a second dog for some time, and when Van Winkle’s story was broadcast on KTVU, they knew he was the one for them. Van Winkle’s foster mom Kay (pictured above, middle) took exceptional care of Van Winkle during his long stay in her home. We are incredibly grateful to her love and generosity in helping this boy, lovingly nicknamed “Winky” make a stellar recovery. This is the Walkers first time adopting from a shelter and we couldn’t be more delighted that it was our very special Van Winkle who made the cut.

Our groomer set to work immediately on this dog and quickly discovered that he favored his front right leg, for what she suspected was a broken bone. When mats get so tight in a dog’s fur, they can often snap the bone. Upon further examination, our vets concluded that his favoring of the leg appeared to be from an old fracture that had not healed properly. Despite the old injury, this dog is active and sweet and does very well with people. As you can see in his after photos, this guy is quite handsome and sweet. Please remember to groom your pets properly to keep them healthy and happy.