Itay Hod of CBS News Bay Area reports on Oakland Animal Services and the pigeon rescue organization Palomacy to find homes for pet pigeons with an unusual approach.
News
Job Opening: Dog Foster Program Assistant
Under general supervision, the Dog Foster Program Assistant works in close collaboration with the two Dog Foster Program Coordinators to support a foster program for primarily large dogs and puppies from Oakland Animal Services (OAS).
With typically over 50% of OAS dogs in foster care, the Dog Foster Program Assistant will play an important role in getting dogs out of the shelter and supporting the volunteers who foster them. Since OAS launched the foster program in 2020, it has helped OAS increase the live release rate for dogs from 84% in 2020 to over 94% today.
The ideal candidate will be highly organized, flexible and able to work well in a fast-paced team environment. The schedule will include some evening and weekend hours.
Through support from Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), OAS has created an Outcome Team, made up of the Foster, Adoption, Transfer and Behavior Coordinators, as well as a Dog Playgroup Coordinator, to focus on placing animals and reducing length of stay.
More information, including compensation and qualifications, can be found linked here and detailed below.
FOAS Dog Foster Program Assistant Job Desc_2025Job Opening: Outcome Team Manager
Under general supervision, this role is responsible for providing oversight and support to the members of the Outcome Team, made up of approximately 13 employees of Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS) who work at Oakland Animal Services (OAS), including the Foster, Adoption, Transfer and Behavior Coordinators, who focus on animal lifesaving and reducing length of stay. This is a new position at OAS.
The Outcome Team Manager will work directly for the OAS Director or designee, focusing on three primary areas: (1) providing supervision and support to Outcome Team staff; (2) serving as a liaison to FOAS administrative staff; and (3) providing guidance and leadership to help grow and strengthen lifesaving programs to help people keep their pets and save shelter animals.
The ideal candidate will be passionate about working in an under resourced municipal shelter and helping hard-to-place shelter animals. They will have significant familiarity with model programs for engaging the community to support animal lifesaving. They will have excellent emotional intelligence and experience building successful teams. They will be highly organized, flexible and able to work well in a fast-paced team environment.
In recent years, OAS has introduced equity focused shelter-intake and community-serving programs, such as providing access to veterinary care, to help keep animals with their families. Through support from Friends of Oakland Animal Services, OAS has created an Outcome Team, made up of the Foster, Adoption, Transfer and Behavior Coordinators, to focus on placing animals and reducing length of stay. Through the introduction of these programs, OAS now has robust community, foster and adoption programs, leading to a live release rate over 93%.
More information, including compensation and qualifications, can be found linked here and detailed below.
FOAS Outcome Team Manager Job Desc_2025Job Opening: Dog Behavior Coordinator
Under general supervision, this position may be held by one or more part-time contractors (working up to a total of 32 hours/week), for the following three functional areas: (1) Behavior evaluations; (2) behavior modification for shelter and foster dogs; and (3) behavioral support for fosters and adopters. The selected individual(s) will work on-site at Oakland Animal Services (OAS), the city’s only open-admission shelter. All roles focus primarily on large dogs who aren’t doing well in a stressful shelter environment, requiring experience working with dogs with behavioral challenges. All work in close coordination with shelter management, the Animal Care Supervisor, Animal Care staff, and the Foster, Adoption, and Transfer Coordinators and volunteers.
The ideal candidate with have a passion for working in an under resourced municipal shelter and helping the hardest-to-place dogs. They will be highly organized, flexible and able to work well in a fast-paced team environment.
OAS has introduced equity focused shelter-intake and community-serving programs, such as providing access to veterinary care, to help keep animals with their families. Through support from Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), OAS has created an Outcome Team, made up of the Foster, Adoption, and Transfer Coordinators, and dog playgroups, to focus on hard-to-place animals and reduce length of stay.
More information, including compensation and qualifications, can be found linked here and detailed below.
Oakland Animal Services open hours to change in New Year
Beginning the week of January 6, 2025, Oakland Animal Services will be closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
This is due to the City’s contingency budget which went into effect in October 2024. Some key OAS positions were frozen, including one full-time and one part-time Animal Care Attendant and one full-time and one part-time Public Service Representative (front counter/animal intake staff). Additionally, one Animal Control Officer and one Registered Veterinary Technician positions are now frozen due to the City’s ongoing financial crisis.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Leadership update for Oakland Animal Services
The Oakland City Administrator’s Office has announced that Deputy City Administrator Joe DeVries will be the shelter’s new director. Additionally, the city has made a commitment to strengthen their relationship with the Friends of Oakland Animal Services, the shelter’s non-profit partner.
For more information on this announcement, see Oakland’s press release.
Give TODAY to DOUBLE your donation!
Help MORE Animals Like Dobby
Make a lasting impact on Oakland’s animals this month as your donation will be DOUBLE-MATCHED—every dollar you give will go two times as far, thanks to a $50,000 matching challenge!
For every $1 you contribute, an additional $1 will be matched by our generous donors, maximizing your gift for Oakland’s animals in need.
Dobby before
Take Dobby’s story—a brave little puppy who arrived at Oakland Animal Services (OAS) fighting for his life.
Diagnosed with parvovirus, a deadly and highly contagious disease, Dobby faced an uncertain future. But thanks to the dedicated OAS veterinary team, a caring foster community, and supporters like you, Dobby made a full recovery! Soon after, Dobby was adopted into a loving forever home. ❤️
Dobby’s journey is just one of thousands of lives transformed thanks to your support.
Your donation helps provide lifesaving medical treatment, foster care, and the opportunity for animals like Dobby to find their forever families.
Dobby after
Whether it’s puppies battling parvovirus, kittens in need of foster care, or dogs waiting for their homes, your generosity makes it all possible.
Thanks to YOU, OAS is saving more animals than ever before! Donate today and triple your impact for Oakland’s animals!
Together, we can create brighter futures for animals like Dobby and many more.
Your generosity makes all the difference in their lives. ❤️
Bissell Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters is back!
Job opening: Bilingual Adoption Program Assistant (Spanish/English)
Under general supervision, this role is responsible to support the Adoption Coordinators by facilitating on-site and off-site adoptions for animals from Oakland Animal Services (OAS). Since 2020, OAS has made great strides in removing barriers to adoption, improving the experience of potential adopters, and increasing lifesaving. The adoption rate for dogs and cats has tripled since that time.
The ideal candidate will be highly organized, flexible and able to work well in a fast-paced team environment.
Adoptions are done primarily on-site during open adoption hours, currently four days per week, which are supported by staff and highly committed volunteers. One goal for this role is to build the capacity of volunteers, so that we can increase open adoption hours to seven days per week. With approximately 40% of OAS dogs in foster care, the Adoption Program Assistant will also be tasked with supporting the adoption program for foster dogs to better engage foster volunteers in the marketing and adoption process.
In recent years, OAS has introduced equity focused shelter-intake and community-serving programs, such as providing access to veterinary care, to help keep animals with their families. Through support from Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), OAS has created an Outcome Team, made up of the Foster, Adoption, Transfer and Behavior Coordinators, to focus on placing animals and reducing length of stay.
More information, including compensation and qualifications, can be found here.
Volunteer Coordinator opening at OAS
Join Oakland Animal Services (OAS) as a Volunteer Coordinator and help to make a difference at Oakland’s only “open admissions” shelter. This means we take animals regardless of age, breed, temperament, or medical condition, and volunteers are vital to helping these animals get adopted. We are a City agency that proudly provides public safety and animal welfare services, as well as human health and social services.
Being a part of OAS provides the unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on both the community and the animals in our care. As a key member of OAS, you’ll play a vital role in fostering a compassionate and supportive environment where volunteers and staff work together to improve the lives of animals. You’ll have the chance to develop and manage volunteer programs that align with our mission to provide high-quality care and services for animals while also ensuring that our efforts are inclusive and accessible to Oakland’s diverse population. Your skills in volunteer management, conflict resolution, and community outreach will create a positive experience for everyone involved.
More details and the job application can be found here. Applications are due to the City of Oakland by October 13, 2024.
