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We are lucky that rabies in Oakland is a rare occurrence.  However, a few weeks ago, a bat found in Oakland tested positive for rabies.  Bats are the leading animal in Alameda County with 134 cases found  over a 10 year period, followed by skunks and foxes.   Rabies cases among domesticated animals  have been dramatically reduced because of vaccinations which makes the regular maintenance of these vaccines critical to maintaining a low occurrence of rabies in our community.  Wildlife now account for more than 90 percent of all reported rabies cases in the United States.

Rabies vaccinations are incredibly important to stay up to date with for your animals.   Always consult with your vet to ensure that your pet has its most current round of vaccinations so they can stay outside in a happy, healthy environment!

For more information about rabies and wildlife, read more here.

Update 12/1/11: Wow! It sure has felt like the holidays around here for the animals!   Thank you to the many generous supporters who have purchased items for the Shelter on our WISH LIST.   We have been getting suprise packages in the mail of comfy dog and cat beds, treats for the bunnies, toys for the animals and much needed equipment for our animal care staff!   It’s so wonderful to be able to immediately hand these items out to animals and staff who can put them to use right away!   Thank you!  Thank you!  Please remember that if you would like us to know who you are when you donate and to be added to our “supporter” mailing list – please include your contact information in the “notes” section of the order form or send us an email at oaklandanimalservices at gmail.com.  Thank you! 

11/26/11:  This week we have been greeted by lots of surprise items in the mail; several generous donors have purchased items for us from our WISH LIST and we have begun receiving them this week.   Thank you all for your generous support of OAS!  Because of you we are able to care for animals better.  The items you purchase are used directly for animal enrichment and for staff and volunteer training and education.  These gifts mean a lot to us.  Thank you!

We often have amazing stories from adopters who are committed to animals and caring for their pet.  This is one of those stories, too good not to share!  These adopters from southern California adopted a sweet pit bull named Ruth.  Now ready to adopt another dog after Ruth’s passing a few months ago, they made the trek to OAS again to sweep up another one of our sweet pit bull mixes.  Here is their story.

We really can’t thank you enough.

I met Ruth at the shelter in September 2009. I chose her for her temperament. I looked at other dogs, but she was very impressive. I spent a lot of time with her at the shelter. Adopting her was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

She became an important part of our lives and the lives of our family and friends. We showed her the mountains. We showed her the beach and the redwoods. We showed her a world where people loved her. We hope she forgot all about the mean streets of Oakland where the kindest thing that ever happened was for her to reach your shelter.

When Ruth died we were all very upset. Filling the void left by the loss of such a great animal is never easy. I miss her every day. The outpouring of support we received was substantial and included many offers of a new dog. After much discussion we decided to look at the OAS website and see which animals were available. We saw lots of great looking dogs and an amazingly cute puppy named Moo. After passing the link to many people we knew they pooled money for us to drive up and take a look. We drove 5 1/2 hours in the morning to be at the shelter when it opened. Looked at some great animals, but decided that the little cow patterned puppy was worth all the work that would come with him. 4 hours later we were  driving back to southern California with what appears to be the cutest puppy the world has ever known. He knows “sit” already. Mostly.

We chose your shelter because we knew that a place that could bring us together with a dog like Ruth must be able to show us another great dog. You did!