The lovely dog to the left is Serena, a former long-term resident at OAS, who is now happily in a home with a Dad and Mom who love her! Isn’t it obvious?
Have you adopted a pet from Oakland Animal Services?
Oakland’s only open admissions shelter
Oakland’s only open admissions shelter
The lovely dog to the left is Serena, a former long-term resident at OAS, who is now happily in a home with a Dad and Mom who love her! Isn’t it obvious?
Have you adopted a pet from Oakland Animal Services?
Mary Nunes says
I adopted Flynn and Max (who are now Nico and Mister Pants) from OAS in January 2022. They were timid, terrified, and so slow to warm up. I thought they’d never come out from under my bed, much less explore the rest of our home! They were an owner surrender, and it seemed they took their time learning to trust me.
The best sign they feel at home now, is how the feedback from my petsitter changed between February and April. They went from too afraid to come out of hiding, to the most affectionate, friendly little purrbuckets who barely let the sitter leave at the end of their visit.
What wonderful timing that they were at OAS when I was ready to bring them home! We’re so happy, thanks to the wonderful team.
Adrienne says
I recently adopted Sage (formerly known as Millie) and instantly fell in love with her. She is now with me all the time, and has been growing more confident and curious every day. I look forward to our long and happy future together, which began right here at Oakland Animal Services!
Olivia says
Adopted Piper (now Bear), a 7 year old shepherd mix, a couple months ago and she recently graduated from her training basics class! She is very smart and despite being an older girl she learns tricks very easily.
Her personality opened up once she was brought home. Started off as shy and scared then became playful and would follow me everywhere. She loves all kinds of attention and play.
Ali, Marcell, & Gabi says
We adopted Louie from OAS in December and we quickly figured out that he’s the GOAT! We love him so much and are so happy that we found him. Thanks, OAS for saving our best boy and giving him a home with us!
Andrea Fournier says
We adopted Mochi (formerly Lychee) in December 2021, three months ago. Mochi is such a sweet and fun cat. She gets along with our resident cat Zoey. She loves to take walks in the yard on her leash, play and eat. Lots of kisses and love from Mochi Love. We are so happy to have her in our lives.
Mrs Tam says
Thank you OAS! I adopted “Cash” from OAS . He is now called Amos. He’s been with us for a little over a month, and we have taken him on trails, beach, lake, park, dog park, and even Yosemite. He does very well in car rides, and we are able to take him along to many places. He is also doing very well with our rabbit and cat. Thank you for all the volunteers who helped introduce Cash to me. We are working on his trainings, but he is doing very well so far.
Julia Dukhovny says
Three weeks ago I adopted a 10 year old kitty named Mama Paws. At first she was very shy and hiding, but now she is calm and happy. We named her Masha. She is very gentle and loves to kiss. Her favorite pastime is to lie on my desk and help me with her purr. I am very grateful to you for letting us meet.
Amy Fitzmaurice says
On October 14th 2021 our family was blessed with a little girl named Snowflake from the Oakland animal shelter. I have worked with dogs for many years and I must say, snowflake is special. We love her so very very much and her personality is so engaging! ❤️ We can’t thank you enough for our little girl, she has truly changed our day to day lives for the better!!! p.s. we’re considering a sibling ☺️❤️
Corliss G. says
Here is my sweet fur baby Teenie. I adopted her on 8/21/2021, she was so shy and very timid. She didn’t want anything to do with the meet and greeting. Fast forward to one month later. Teenie has warmed up. She enjoys, playing with her toys, daily walks (on a leash, took some patience and reassuring),sitting in the sun , tummy rubs,, and snuggling or resting on our laps. She is currently learning cues: sitting, lay down. She’s got the potty and crate down. Although, she still timid with strangers and other animals. We love having her in our lives. Thank you, OAS.
Candice H says
Here is my sweet Luna Kitty (previously known as Angel Cutie Pie). We picked her up in December 2020. She was a surrender cat, but we could tell that she had been left home alone a lot with no other animals and didn’t know how to moderate some of her aggression. We were nervous she wouldn’t integrate into our family or that we would have to constantly sedate her to keep her calm. But with some love, patience, and acceptance, she has become our sweet little fur baby. We still have to pet her on her terms (where she wants it, when she wants it), but she’s learned to let us know what she needs in a much less aggressive way. Plus, her little love bites and biscuits and head butts just warm my heart every day. I just know she’s happy she has found her forever home <3
gary clark says
We adopted Allie, a beautiful Husky and we love her and she has become a loving member of our household.
James Carrington says
We adopted Wade Wilson from OAS in February 2019 and Mushroom from OAS in June 2020. They have adapted to each other very well, and we are extraordinarily lucky to have both of them.
Thank you OAS!
Tom Paraspolo says
This dog was adopted under the name “Minnie” and adjusted well. I have since re-named her “Shadow”due to her color and ability to suddenly appear at my side UN-noticed.
Randi says
Hello OAS,
It is with great sadness to let you know that my precious Louie became an angel today. I got him from you 10 years ago, his name was Spud while in your care. I will love and miss him dearly. I cannot believe he’s an angel, but he is at peace and will frolic in heaven with all the other animals. Thank you for taking such good care of him until I got him it was an honor to be his mom.
Randi says
Hi OAS, it’s me Louie aka Spud . I haven’t seen you guys in almost 10 years, I’ve been really busy with my family. I hope all of you are well and thanks for taking care of me again and all the other animals there.
Love,
Louie
Alicia & Brian says
We adopted Shay from OAS on January 27th and she has been a great addition to our family! She adjusted immediately to her new home and family. She is a 50 pound lap dog who loves to cuddle and is curious about everything! Thank you OAS for such a beautiful baby!
Courtney Wittman says
My partner and I adopted Duke almost one year ago! When we adopted him his name was Chewy but we renamed him Duke because he looks and acts very similar to our last dog, Dutchess. After adopting Duke, we quickly figured out what little experience he had in a loving home. Slowly but surely we taught him how to walk up and down stairs, how to properly walk on a leash and potty trained him!
Today, he is miles away from where he started! In June 2020, he passed his Canine Good Citizen Test and in October 2020 he was accepted into a Psychiatric Service Dog training program! Duke is officially a psychiatric service dog in training and has been doing public access training with me for five weeks! We are currently on the road to being a full-fledged service dog team! The tasks and work that Duke provides me with in home and in public spaces has helped me tremendously.
Duke is now a happy, healthy and very loved pup. We couldn’t be more proud to be his mommy and daddy!
Edgar says
We adopted Kobe from the animal shelter back in 2014 and he has been a great addition to our family. He is very loving and enjoys cuddling. These past 6 years being with him have been wonderful and we love him very much. Thank you again.
chun yn jiang says
4 year ago. I adopt the kitty in here. now my love 4 years ready. she is sweet and very active. we just give her a home. she give all the love to my family. thanks.
Randi says
Hi OAS,
It’s me Louie!
K says
We brought Teddy home from OAS in January 2018. He’s cuddled us through all the ups and downs, especially now during the pandemic. One of us is finally permanently working from home, which Teddy adores and lap cuddles all day. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who made it possible to bring Teddy into our lives!
Maddie says
I adopted Kira (now Piper) from your adoption event on the 4th. Your staff was amazing and now Piper is happy and comfortable in her new home.
I cannot wait for all the fun times Piper and I will have. I can already tell she is perfect for our family. Thank you to all the volunteers for helping Piper find her forever home! She is the best cat ever.
Maddie
Lisa Quiriconi says
10 years ago today I walked into the Oakland Animal Shelter to meet a different dog. I met the corgi mix at the time and just didn’t hit it off. So I took another loop through the display kennels to see who was available. Towards the end of the row on the left, there was a dog with no name tag, just a number. He was so new that he didn’t even have a name posted. He looked like some sort of cocker spaniel, and he was laying on a yellow towel. I locked eyes with him stopped dead in my tracks and he perked up looked at me and started thumping his tail. It was love at first sight. I knew I had found my best friend forever.
He came home with me and my partner at the time, and I gave him the name Leo. He was adopted during the sign of Leo, but he also looked like a wonderful little lion. He was about a year old, from somewhere in East Oakland, and a little bit wild but full of love. The picture on the left is from the first day I met him, when we took a walk around the animal shelter parking lot just to see how we got along. The picture on the right is us today, July 18th, 10 years later now in Portland Oregon.
To say that Leo and I hit it off is an understatement. We have been through more good times and bad times than you can imagine, and he has been a steadfast and solid best friend to me through it all. He needed a little training and patience, but he has rewarded me with 10 years of laughter and comfort and joy. Despite many health challenges he has faced, with extreme attention to detail, love and care from me, he is thriving in his retirement years. He honestly is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will be forever grateful to the Oakland Animal Shelter for helping me find the love of my life.
Lora Torgessen says
I’ve had Pippi (Longstockings) for a year now. She was a street rescue, and although she’s still a bit skittish, and will probably never be a lap cat, she loves her scratches and has a, really, sweet personality. She’s just content playing fetch with her spring toys, and eating.) I couldn’t be happier.
Randi says
Hi OAS,
I’m self quarantining now, besides my mom taking me outside for a walk. I was trying to take a nap and I think she’s a little bored as she made me take a picture with a teddy bear. You all be safe and stay healthy .
Love Louie, aka Spud when I was in your care almost 9 years ago
Andrew Manlutac says
I adopted Morel (now Mila) on December 08, 2019. She loves her new home filled with toys, XL size litter box, a brand new cat condo, and every scratcher you could think of. Mila is a ball of energy that just loves being under the constant spotlight of attention (we all love a diva).
The Kinnon Family says
We adopted tiny kitten Matcha (now Socks) from you in October when she was just 2 months old. Here she is with her dog-bro Banjo. They quickly grew to be good friends and love to chase each other—and nap together!
Randi says
Hi OAS! It’s me Louie aka Spud when I was in your care almost 8 yrs ago.
Seti Sidharta says
I adopted Dorado in October 2019 and has since renamed him Casanova. He is so wonderful. He has adjusted to his new home and his sister, Romie. He loves to eat, go for a walk, and enjoy car rides. He always wants to go out with me.
Both Casanova and I are thankful to the staff at the Oakland Animal Services for everything.
Maura McCabe says
We adopted Sandy in August- she loves her new home and greeted the kids this Halloween!
Karen says
I came to Maddie’s Day at OAS in May 2014. I wanted my then-13-year-old son to have a dog in his life. We adopted Zelda (her original name at the shelter, we liked it), a minpin mix — she was young, sweet, and very shy, the only dog in her kennel that didn’t bark when we came by.
She had separation issues and anxiety, but with some care, consistency, and positive reinforcement (lots of freeze-dried liver treats!), she blossomed. As did my teenage son and I. Whenever we were having an argument, we could always talk about, and relax around, our Zelda.
5 years later, she is our constant companion — no longer shy but still gentle and friendly, she loves people and dogs. She’s the neighborhood social committee, and our personal reminder to go outside – she loves to hike!. She’s super smart, super sweet, and wants so much to please us. She had spinal surgery last year (based on a birth defect) which she came through like a champ. Everyone in the neighborhood knows and loves her — along with all my friends and family.
Adopt a shelter dog. Meet them where they are. Help them along. Learn about positive training techniques. You (and your family) will learn about love all over again.
Lora Torgessen says
I was looking for a brother, or sister, for my Henry Hobbit (kitty). I saw Calliope’s photo on the web site and fell in love with her. When I got there, she was scoogied down into a cocoon and would hiss if you tried to touch her. I knew that she was terrified form all of the noise, (barking dogs!), and that it might be hard for her to be adopted since she wasn’t cuddly like the other cats. so, I trusted my gut , put her, in her cocoon, into my cat carrier, and took her home.
I put her my bedroom and closed the door. With a couple of hours, (of quiet), she was at the bedroom door, meowing to get OUT! She was tentative, but affectionate and, badly, in need of some love and attention. It took a bit for she and Henry to get used to each other but they are now BFF’s.
In the photo Henry is on the left, Callie on the right. I am completely, and totally, in love with them and they have me wrapped around their paws
Molly Janis Smith says
Cayenne (formerly Kailua) is a special needs dog. He was surrendered to OAS in 2009 and I adopted him a few months later. He was nearly bald with mange, skinny, and very fearful. OAS rehabilitated him to the point we could see he was a diamond in the rough. Now almost 10 years later he is happy, healthy, and finally has the sister he always wanted. He is a beautiful copper color and now even gets along with kids and strangers. We love our boy!
Marcia Trujillo says
We adopted Petey 2 years ago this month. He and our 6 yr old dog Zeus (also a rescue) bonded right away. He took longer to trust us. He loved being outside and running around with us, but at bed time he would hide in the corner. Whenever he was nervous he’d go to “his” corner. His tail spent most of its time down.
Now, he loves his people. Zeus is still his favorite, but he comes to his name, cries excitedly when he hears us at the door, wags his tail all the time.
He thinks he’s in charge. He will growl if Zeus has a toy he wants, because he knows Zeus would never hurt him and will give in to him. In the picture Petey is the beige terrier.
He has brought us so much happiness and love. Thank you for letting us adopt him!
Gayle says
A few weeks ago, I saw Mariah’s picture, and my heart skipped a beat! Since the passing of my Sawyer who was 13 1/2 years old, my home has been empty and I missed the special love only a dog can bring to you life.
Having another dog as my companion was not an easy decision. He had gotten my husband through his 10 battle with cancer, then was my “savior” after my husbands passing. But I had the feeling that new pup was out there and it was time reach out again for a rescue! So there she was with those chocolate brown eyes and sweet smile. Her foster mom Laurie, talked with me about her, encouraged me and stood by me as I took her home to adapt to “Riley” to her new life. At first, I watched her wander about for days. She would brush by me and lick my hand – awww… the love was in there just waiting to get out. As the week went on, she became my shadow and would finally look at me with loving eyes. After 2 weeks, her incredible sweetness and heart started coming through. She is the kindest, smartest and easiest animal I have ever had, and I am so lucky to be her mom now! She was a diamond in the rough and we are on our way to a great lifetime together!
Noemy and Vince says
My husband and I recently adopted Dobby formerly known as, “Bandit” about a week ago and he has been doing amazing adapting to our home and our other cats in the house. He was shy the first day and now he walks around with confidence and loves to play all day. We are super happy with him and give him lots of love . Thanks OAS for taking care of Dobby before finding his forever home.
Lin B says
I adopted my Jindo girl from OAS in 2010. She was a lot of unexpected work (animal aggressive) and we took lots of classes together. Nowadays, when walking on a leash and another dog is approaching, she automatically moves off the curb close by my side til the other dog passes us. Then she looks up at me as if to say “see Mom, I did good!”. She’s the best behaved dog I ever had, super loyal and wanting to please me and smart, too. Tonight, my son is picking up his first cat (for his apartment) at OAS. I hope he has many years of love just as we have had with our Shasta. Thank you OAS for filling so many lives with love!
Rosi says
Thanks so much for your work and services!!! It has been a year since we adopted Pachi formerly known as Ashley. The behavior assessment with my other dog was great. After we brought her in she was shy but now she has developed her full personality and it’s so much fun, she is the best hija. Here a photo
Ericka says
Axel
I saw this exact photo (below) on the Oakland Animal Shelter website in 2007. “What a face!”, I thought and and went to meet him on a Wednesday, the night before Halloween. “If you want him, you should take him tonight,” wasn’t what I expected to hear when I asked about coming back on Saturday to adopt him. But that’s how it went and – woefully inexperienced at being a dog owner – I agreed to take the cute mutt home with me. When I got in my car, and he hopped on my lap and stayed there for the whole ride, I knew I’d made a good choice.
For the next 10+ years, he was always, always there. Sometimes thundering through the doggie door and careening around corners with exuberance to greet us, and lately, simply laying on the couch, wagging his tail or rolling over for belly rubs.
Equally frustrating and endearing, he taught me so much over the years; most of all, about acceptance, loyalty and love.
Animal shelters often use the tagline “who rescued who?” when it comes to pet adoption. In our case, there’s no question. Although we gave Axel the best life we could, it’s clear that we are the lucky ones. He gave infinitely more than he got in this world.
Thank you Oakland Animal Shelter for introducing me to my boy and for the hard work and love you bestow on all of our city’s animals.
And thank you for your love and loyalty Axel. Here’s to you and your last and best freedom ride. Have so much fun chasing squirrels on the other side.
Monika Dohse says
My family and I have adopted a black adult cat from the Oakland Animal Shelter January 6, 2018. The volunteer who showed us the cats and helped us making a decision was awesome! Learning that we have a dog at home, she offered the cat-dog test right away. We adopted Barnaby and couldn’t be any happier! He is a great and beautiful black panther!
Thank you, Oakland Animal Shelter!
Maria Mitchell says
I was a failed fostering experiment with Oakland Animal Services starting in July of 2004.
I received a 3-week old kitten to foster who had so many problems but I fell madly in love with him and adopted him a few months later.
Maynard was loved very much for almost 14 years and passed away at home today 5/11/2018 after a short battle with cancer.
Thank you, OAS for bringing him into my life.
Joel says
We adopted Roxie (formerly Pipi) in November 2017. She is a great wiggly addition to our family. We are so happy to have her. Thank you OAS.
Karen says
My son and I adopted a little black and tan dog on Maddie’s Day 2014 (I’m guessing she’s a rat terrier/minpin mix). Her OAS name was Zelda — my son thought that was a great name for her, and it is. She’s smart, sweet, fearless, easy to train, loves little kids and other dogs, wants to please her people, and lives to go on hikes and find (and chase) tennis balls, or maybe tear apart a huge pinecone! She “talks” to us when she wants to go outside or wants her dinner, and uses her paws almost like a cat.
She gets her mom (me) to go hiking and get plenty of exercise (yay Zelda!), and she’s my son’s best friend. We cannot imagine our lives without her — thanks, OAS!
Erik Jorgensen says
Brooklyn came to our family 2 1/2 years ago . She has stolen our hearts and love. She wishes you a very happy and healthy New Year
Patrick Feyh says
03553 is still going strong after 6 years.
Moo. What a guy.
Randi says
Hi, OAS! Do I look familiar to anyone? It’s me Louie! You know me by Spud when I was in your care. I guess it’s been close to 6 years I’ve been with my family. I have lots of fun! I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for taking care of me and all my friends waiting for their forever homes.
Madeline Mesa says
I just recently adopted little Rosie here. Shes 2 years old and a total sweetheart. She behaves so well and loves to be cuddled, and also loves to play! Right when we visited her we knew she was the one for us. Shes our own little private investigator and we look forward to spending our years with her,
Richard Davis says
I adopted the sweetest cat from OAS back in November 2006!!! His name is Willy, and I think Willy can tell you that he has had an excellent life with me. Shortly after adopting Willy, my vet diagnosed him with Feline Asthma which means Willy uses 2 different inhalers as well as Prednisolone liquid suspension. He has some minor asthma flare ups now and then, but I would never trade him for the world, had I known about his asthma before adopting him. Willy had 5 teeth pulled in February 2017 due to decay/gingivitis but has made an excellent recovery! Despite his asthma he is a very playful and very intelligent cat. He loves to play with me as well as play alone with some of his favourite toys (furry mice!!). I had another cat who lived with me (his name was Khan) for one year prior to Willys arrival, after an initial “getting acquainted” period, they became very close companions. Unfortunately I had to put Khan down on January 20, 2017 after he went into heart failure. We both miss him very much. I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to have adopted my beautiful cat Willy from OAS! Willy must be 12ish years old currently, and shows NO major signs of slowing down and NO major geriatric complications so far! I love him very much and I think he would agree!
Jessica says
I adopted Balto at age 13 a couple of months ago from OAS to keep my senior German shepherd company while I am at work. They adore each other and couldn’t be happier! Please consider adopting a senior dog, they are lovely, usually house trained, and just want to spend their remaining years snuggling.
Linda Medrano and Alex Thompson says
We visited the Oakland Shelter yesterday to check out Red. Fortunately, we brought our Pit Bull, Zoe, with us. We saw Red playing in the yard with a volunteer as soon as we got out of the car. Red was bigger (and prettier) than he looked in his photos. We got to meet him and the volunteer shared what information she knew about his. He was a very charming dog!
We requested and got a “dog-dog” for Red and Zoe and found that they suited each other perfectly. I’m delighted to say we brought Red home with us last night and the two pups could not be happier! Nor could we.
Thank you to the great staff and volunteers at Oakland Animal Services for helping us to find and get this wonderful new addition to our family!