The bunnies at Oakland Animal Services need you! The shelter is seeing an increase in rabbit intakes and needs fosters. If you can open your home to a bunny, even for just a few weeks, email us at rabbits@oaklandsanimals.org or come by the shelter during open hours.
News
Friends of Oakland Animal Services + New Parkway Theater = Karma Movie Night!
Friends of Oakland Animal Services has been selected as the as The New Parkway Theater’s Karma Cinema partner for the month of June. This means that every Wednesday, you (and all theater patrons) pay whatever you want for your movie ticket, and FOAS will receive 20% of ticket sales.
So come on out for a movie — not only will you be supporting the important work at OAS, you get to enjoy a film in comfy living-room-style seating with a selection of delicious snacks and meals from the cafe and a variety of local craft beers and wines.
Best of Oakland Magazine: Vote for Oakland Animal Services!
Calling all supporters of Oakland Animal Services!!
Oakland Animal Services has reached the final round of voting for the “Best of Oakland Magazine” awards, thanks to your incredible support during the nomination phase. We’re on the home stretch, but we still need your help to clinch this prestigious recognition!
Your belief in our efforts and contributions has brought us this far. If you think we deserve to win for the category of Best Animal Services/Best Animal Shelter or Rescue Group, we would be deeply honored if you could cast your vote for us. Your continued support is crucial and immensely appreciated, as it empowers us to further enrich our community.
Voting is simple! VOTE HERE!
Voting continues through June 16!
Thank you for your steadfast support and for being a vital part of our journey. Together, let’s secure this win!
FOAS seeks Bilingual Adoption Coordinator (Spanish/English)
The Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS) is hiring for a Bilingual Adoption Coordinator (Spanish/English). Under general supervision, this role is responsible for facilitating on-site and off-site adoptions for animals from Oakland Animal Services (OAS), especially for dogs. The person in this role will have a primary focus on removing barriers for potential adopters who are low-income or have no or limited English proficiency, particularly for people who speak Spanish, as well as other non-English speakers.
Since 2020, OAS has focused on improving the experience of potential adopters, and increasing lifesaving, by making the process more welcoming and accessible, and by focusing on matchmaking. 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. The Bilingual Adoption Coordinator will work as part of a three-person adoption team and will work in close collaboration with the OAS Volunteer Coordinator.
For more details, including compensation, click here.
SPRING into Action at Oakland Animal Services!
You’ve been hearing from us for over a year now about how desperately overcrowded we are with large dogs at Oakland Animal Services. As the City of Oakland’s open admission shelter, we don’t say “no” to incoming dogs. In 2022, we took in an average of 238 dogs per month. We sounded the alarm in early 2023, when we saw that monthly average spike to 302 dogs per month. Still, despite that daunting increase, we also saw this community rally, resulting in a nearly 30% increase in adoptions and 40% increase in dogs in foster homes, all while the euthanasia rate was at its lowest ever.
So far in 2024, we are seeing another big spike in intake and are now at an average of 349 dogs per month. New dogs come in every day, so even though we’re getting dogs out of the shelter, those kennels fill right back up. We do not want to be forced to euthanize for space, but that is the reality that we are facing if we can’t get more dogs adopted.
We are not giving up on these dogs and need your help to save them!
– This week, from March 13th through 17th, we are pulling out all the stops to get our large dog population down below our shelter capacity.
– We are adding an extra day of adoptions, and extending adoption hours every day so that we can get as many large dogs adopted as possible!
– On Thursday March 14th we will have a special midnight madness event, where we’ll be at the shelter from noon till midnight adopting dogs! Adoption fees for all big dogs will be waived.
We’ll keep you posted every day on how we’re doing in getting down under our capacity. Instead of setting a goal for the number of dogs adopted, we will track a goal of the number of big dogs in the shelter, showing every day the progress we’re making towards getting our shelter population in check.
We will be doing everything we can to find dogs new homes, and we need you to help, too! Come adopt a dog, and if you can’t adopt yourself, help us to spread the word in your networks and communities. We have all types of adoptable pups, including easy going dogs that will be fantastic for first-time adopters, pups who are looking for a more dog-experienced home, pups that will be great with families, pups that would love to have a pack of their own, pups who are happier to be solo dogs, puppies, adults, and seniors. You name it, our matchmakers will find the right dog for you! With over 100 dogs available, we’re sure to make a match.
Oakland Animal Services is located right off the 880 freeway in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. We’re about ½ mile from Fruitvale BART, near AC Transit bus lines 20, 21, and 62, and we have a parking lot right in front of the shelter.
Blind date with a dog at Oakland Animal Services
We’re adding some extra fun to our dog adoption process on Saturday, February 10th! If you’re feeling lucky, our matchmakers will find a canine blind date for you! You’ll still fill out our regular matchmaking form, but we’ll also give you a special “blind date dealbreakers” form that will help our matchmakers find your love! Instead of sharing pictures first, we’ll bring out your “date” sight unseen and we’ll see if love really is blind!
(For those who want to go through our typical matchmaking process where we share photos or you can meet a dog in our parking lot, we’ll still be doing that, too!)
An announcement from OAS Director Ann Dunn
I want to share that I have resigned my position as Oakland Animal Services (OAS) Director. My end date is not certain as I am committed to staying until a new director is hired.
This was an incredibly difficult decision for me to make. I have such a deep love for OAS, and for Oakland. Ultimately, I realized I no longer have the energy that’s needed to lead OAS and want to make room for someone else to carry on this important work. When a new director is hired, I look forward to supporting them in any way I can.
I understand that my departure creates uncertainty about potential changes in direction for OAS or possible setbacks to what we have worked so hard to achieve. I have absolute confidence in Mayor Sheng Thao and City Administrator Jestin Johnson to choose a director for OAS who will continue to focus on animal lifesaving and serving the people of Oakland who most need our support. I have no doubt the positive momentum of OAS will continue.
It’s been 15 years since I first came to OAS as a volunteer. I never imagined then that I would go on to found Cat Town, in support of OAS, and then become OAS Director. It has been such an honor to be in this role and to work among such a determined and passionate team of staff and volunteers. I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together. I’ve also been so heartened to see the growing number of people in this community who have stepped up to adopt or foster animals or otherwise support this lifesaving work.
It’s been a gift to play a small role in the continuing evolution of OAS. While I am ending this role, my commitment to OAS will continue!
With gratitude,
Ann Dunn
FOAS seeks Dog Foster Program Assistant
The Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS) is hiring for a 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 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 weekly schedule will be Thursday through Monday.
The Dog Foster Program Assistant is a FOAS employee who works at Oakland Animal Services in coordination with OAS (City) staff.
For more details, including compensation, click here.
Double your impact for Oakland’s neediest animals!
DOUBLE your impact for Oakland’s neediest animals thanks to generous animal lovers who are providing a $75,000 match through the end of December!
Oakland Animal Services set a new record this year, taking in over 7,000 animals while maintaining a live-release rate of over 90%. As intake continues to rise, Oakland’s animals need your support now more than ever.
Your gift funds life-saving work to ensure each animal can get the compassionate support they need for a second chance.
Shop FOAS stores and support Oakland’s animals!
Shop the Friends of Oakland Animals online stores and support Oakland’s animals! All proceeds from our Threadless and Zazzle shops help to fund the life-saving programs at Oakland Animal Services!
