Underdog was incredible. The whole process, from start to finish, felt incredibly considerate and…read morecaring. In our case, we have two kids, and really wanted to make sure the dog was a good match before we introduced them. That model isn't a great fit for shelters where they (understandably) want the whole family to meet the dog, and won't place a hold to let grownups prescreen first. Not so with Underdog! We completed our initial form, had an email exchange, and then a video call, just grownups. There was no rush, and absolutely no pressure - such a wonderful difference from what we'd experienced elsewhere. Once we felt like this was a good fit, we included the kids. Our foster was incredible. She was responsive, caring, kind, and compassionate, and it totally opened our eyes to how this process can go when it is handled so skillfully. Moreover, she gave us a fabulous download of information, all super actionable and helpful. We came home with healthy, realistic expectations, and tons of tools and resources to get us started. All this is to say, thanks to Underdog, we got connected with our pup - and our family is completely in love.

Underdog needs to improve with communication,follow through,they gave me a timeline on when they…read more would contact me about a pet I applied for and gave me no response on pet availability.I felt disappointed about not being able to adopt the pet I wanted.I applied fifteen days ago and heard nothing.This rescue is only about how much they can profit on their so called rescues,don't waste your time contacting them.

About a month ago, I went to Joybound People & Pets to adopt a kitten, and I had such a wonderful…read moreexperience. Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and helpful throughout the whole process. I was looking for a baby kitten, and thankfully I found exactly the little cat I was hoping for. The adoption process was easy and smooth, and you can really tell how much the staff cares about the animals. The cats are very well treated, and the conditions they are kept in are excellent. Everything was clean, organized, and the animals looked healthy, happy, and loved. Thank you to everyone at Joybound People & Pets for all the care and dedication you give to these animals. I truly recommend this adoption center!

My best friend lost her mom to cancer a few weeks ago. My friend lives out of state- so I have been…read moreassisting her locally. Her mom adopted the sweetest chihuahua from Arf back in 2021, the fur baby went blind about a year ago. So we were really concerned about how she would settle in a new environment, and we're trying to rehome the dog I went to Joybound a few weeks ago to ask if there was any chance they take back their animals in these circumstances. The woman at the welcome desk was so helpful explaining yes they do. She walked me thru the process to fill out the forms online They got back to my friend promptly to setup an appointment for a behavior assessment and vet evaluation. We had our appointment yesterday at 2. We arrived a half hour early so we wouldn't be rushed , and to help Lily stay as calm as possible. Everyone we encountered was delightful and so kind. No judgements- Lily came alive with tail wags and enthusiasm to be back at such a supportive rescue group. She was just basking in the attention and love. She passed her behavior test with flying colors. We were told she most likely will be going to a foster home first for a few weeks before she's available for adoption. We were told we can follow her online with her name, and see when she becomes available and she won't be on the website anymore once she finds her next loving home. Thank you Joybound for standing behind your animals and supporting families We also did not have to pay a surrender fee. We were encouraged to take our time and enjoy complementary coffee or tea, also offered a box of tissues We were already pulling out of the parking lot before our scheduled appointment time Can't think you enough for your kindness all around this hard experience

Did it again. Got another rescue from Love and Second Chances and couldn't be happier. They…read morereally care about finding the right home for their doggos. Love them!

We had an amazing experience working with Love & Second Chances to adopt our Mei! Melody answered…read moreall our questions and our flight volunteer was so kind. We are so happy with Mei in our lives and I highly recommend this rescue.

They are doing a great job if trying to save all the critters and supplying the public with low…read morecost spay/neuter and vaccines.

I cannot believe it was just last month that I was on my way to meet my beautiful little Opal…read more My experience with this location was something to remember for all time. Not only was the staff incredible, they truly love what they do. Opal has a mild case of CH and I currently have a little with a severe case. And I have a soft spot for giving these beautiful souls a happy home. From the phone call to even just arriving to the parking lot for directions I was definitely delighted to see friendly faces from the staff. The volunteers were so incredible, they were nothing but transparent and loving to all the littles in the venue I felt bad that I wanted to adopt when they have such great people. I think whoever is looking for a new addition should really consider adopting here. Every little is treated so incredibly well.

This is a great rescue group for dogs and cats run by Maryanne and other volunteers. They foster…read moreanimals that they get from the animal shelter, until they are able to find homes for each animal. She is so passionate about the animals that she helps and she makes a big commitment to each animal that she helps. I adopted my dog Gracie from her, and Gracie has been such a source of joy!

I met MaryAnn one year ago after I had seen the most adorable picture of a Min Pin named Lulu. My…read morename being Lili, I just had to meet that precious little dog. I drove up to Lafayette so excited and MaryAnn was so wonderful! She was so great and took her time answering all my questions. After deciding that I was ready to take her home, MaryAnn accompanied me to the pet store to make sure I got all of Lulu's food etc. and to top it off I got a discount at Pet Food Express! I took Lulu home and I was super excited. She was so sweet and full of energy and did not want to leave my sight. She had separation anxiety & leash aggression that I got very overwhelmed. I was so overwhelmed that I called MaryAnn crying asking if I can give her back because I felt I couldn't give Lulu what she wanted me too. She was so understanding and she advised me to give Lulu another chance and this was all so new to Lulu and she was just as scared as I was. So I listened to MaryAnn's advise and I gave that precious little dog another chance. One year later I'm the most happiest person ever. She is the best little thing that could have happened to me. We go on runs together, many many walks, does well with other dogs. Lulu also gets to come to work with me and she's one of the most friendliest dogs in our office. She loves people and people adore her. I couldn't of done it without MaryAnn's help. Thank you so much MarryAnn! I can't believe it's almost been a year!

I came to the Berkeley Humane Society after being told they were providing a free health clinic on…read moreSaturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7. This included free spay and neuter services with advanced sign-up. The staff and volunteers were absolutely amazing--so kind, organized, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire experience. One of the sponsors was Tony LaRussa and LaRussa Rescue, along with other rescue organizations. Tony and his wife were there during our visit, taking time to chat with people and personally thanking everyone for coming, which was incredibly touching. I've been wanting to visit this shelter for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity. The dedication and compassion of everyone here truly shows. An amazing place filled with amazing people.

Phenomenal Shelter!!!…read more My partner and I started off fostering dogs and ultimately foster failed. We worked closely with Ian who was phenomenal, supportive and so responsive. They gave us all the supplies (food, toys, advice, leashes, etc.) we needed to give our foster pooches what they needed. We fostered a sweet girl for nearly 4 months until she found her forever home, which was difficult for us but so rewarding to be a part of her journey to a home and family who could give her everything she needed. We fostered a bit more and ultimately foster-failed and have had our boy Rickey (formerly Kona) for nearly a year! Rickey has been the most perfect pooch we could've asked for. I am so appreciative of Berkeley Humane, Ian, and the whole team. Cannot recommend this shelter enough! Foster and/or adopt from Berkeley!!

They were great, very easy to deal with. Shared lots of pics, answered all questions and kept me up…read moreto date. I now have another beautiful, and spoiled, healthy princess and have them to thank!

If you are on the fence about putting down a deposit for a kitten from Blue Eyed Frisco, just do…read moreit! Communication was spotty initially but once I read the other recent Yelp reviews I decided to put down a deposit they became much more responsive and answered any questions. I was nervous when I went to pick him up because he seemed super timid and even hissed at me, but once home our kitten warmed up within a couple of days and is the sweetest little purr machine with a healthy dose of chaotic kitten energy when the mood strikes him. He loves belly rubs and is so friendly! He has bonded with each family member (including our young teen daughters, almost 2-year-old Siberian boy, and roaming house rabbit) and can be hard to find since you never know who he's decided to play with or what part of the house he is exploring. The breeder's home is a very quiet, peaceful environment, our home is a lot louder but he was almost fully acclimated within the first week, and now almost 2 weeks in he is so brave and such a great addition to our family. We couldn't be happier with his temperament and he's such a cute little guy. Thank you Blue Eyed Frisco!

We adopted a 2 year old kitty from Hopalong at Woodland Pet in Bon Air Center. We had just recently…read moresaid goodbye to our beloved cat who was 20 years old and had been the best companion for us. We weren't looking to get a new kitty so soon, but Dharma was in the back of the store and she was very sweet. They let us play with her and our dog was with us, so we took turns being near Dharma and allowing our dog (who loves our cats) to see her from a distance. All went well. We learned that she had been in the store for a while and had a rough life before she was taken to the shelter. Fast forward to today--she cuddles with my husband who has been very ill and she is his best friend. She learned how to win over the resident cat (with lots of time and some help), and she and our Husky and best friends. She's earned the nickname Drama because she's very good at getting into mischief. The support information from Hopalong was useful. We've had cats our entire lives and still each cat is unique. Having resources at hand is great! The people at Woodland Pet were very helpful in vetting us to make certain that we would be a good, safe home for Dharma and that she would be happy with us. They sent us home with supplies and toys. Because of their continued interest, our dog and I go back to show them photos of Drama earning her nickname.

What a great experience with Marin Humane + Hopalong. My partner and I lost our pug earlier this…read moreyear in January. We adopted her from the shelter when she was two and she lived all the way to fifteen. She was everything to us. After she passed, we waited a while before feeling ready to adopt again. In the meantime, I followed a ton of Bay Area rescue groups on Instagram and checked the Petfinder app regularly. We knew we were drawn to flat-faced breeds, but the most important thing was finding a dog that could get along with our two cats. We actually found a Frenchie through another rescue and even went to meet him at an adoption event. Unfortunately, his foster parent said he didn't do well with other dogs and probably not with cats either. That was a dealbreaker for us. About a month later, during the week of July 4, I came across Sally Sitwell (now renamed Winnie) on Petfinder. Her profile mentioned that she was good with cats, and she sounded perfect for us. I applied right away but didn't hear back for a few days, so I was worried she might have already been adopted. But I totally understood since it was a holiday week and I'm sure they received a ton of applications. Eventually, I got an email from Ruthie, a volunteer, to schedule a 1:1 phone interview. She was really warm and easy to talk to. She explained that she usually handles phone interviews for people interested in brachycephalic breeds since she has experience with them. I shared our story about our late pug and everything we went through with her including surgeries, seizures, and IVDD, and Ruthie could tell we were familiar with the breed's needs. She planned to coordinate a meeting with us, the dog, and the foster parent, but she was going to be out of town. So she looped in Alex from Hopalong and Francesca, the foster mom, so we could set something up directly. We coordinated a visit to meet Winnie at Hopalong in Oakland. I really appreciated how flexible and communicative everyone was. It felt like everyone genuinely wanted the best for this dog. When I first met Francesca and Winnie, I lit up. Winnie was even more adorable in person and so much smaller than I expected. Francesca was such a kind person. She already had a Frenchie and cats, so you could tell she really loves animals. She walked us through all of Winnie's little quirks and her daily routine. A few minutes later my partner arrived and I ran out to get him. I told him right away, "You're going to love her, she's so adorable." The moment he walked in and saw her, he was smiling ear to ear. We ended up spending about 30 minutes with Francesca, chatting and also sharing more about ourselves so she'd feel reassured that Winnie would be going to a loving home. Toward the end of our visit, Alex, the program manager, came out to meet us. She was super bubbly and also a Frenchie owner. We let her know we were all in and wanted to move forward with the adoption. We asked if we could pick Winnie up the next day since we had a bunch of supplies being delivered like her crate, food, and bowls. Francesca was so accommodating and let us come to her house the next day to get her. The whole experience was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. There were no awkward moments and we felt supported from start to finish. I would recommend this rescue to anyone. Now Winnie is completely spoiled. We originally planned to have her sleep in her crate but that lasted exactly one night. She's now in the bed with us. She's been to the dog park, joined us on restaurant patios, come to work with me, and even had a few spa days. After hearing about her rough start to life, being used for breeding and then dropped off at the Hayward animal shelter, we knew we wanted to give her the best life possible. She is truly the sweetest, most loving dog we could have asked for. We're so grateful to everyone at Marin Humane + Hopalong for bringing her into our lives.

Don't forget to check out the animals in foster care. The foster parents are happy to share insight…read moreon the animals in their care, as well as set up an agreeable meeting time to meet their fosters. Animals in foster are so much more relaxed, they also have more of a routine. Check out the animal's diary to see photos and videos of them to glean more info on their unique personalities. Many dogs have been in play groups at the shelter, so they have information on their unique play style to better know if these dogs will be a good fit for your family

I highly recommend this place to add a new family member our experience with the staff was very…read moreprofessional patient and friendly We had a wonderful experience and are very happy with our new baby

Our 3.5-year-old Frenchie jumped off our bed and ruptured a disc. Griffin couldn't walk or stand…read moreup on his own. His legs were becoming more stiff as the hours went on. The local vet in Napa said we needed a neurologist and sent us for emergency care at SAGE in Redwood City. They told us that he was becoming paralyzed and that we needed to get him an MRI ($3000) and an aggressive back surgery that was only an 80% chance he recovers from this. That would cost us approx $18,000 dollars. Not to mention the aftercare costs. If we couldn't do that, then we should euthanize him humanely there that day. We cried it out and begged for an alternative so they sent us home with a gloomy diagnosis that the steroids will probably not help and to have him put down if he become fully paralyzed and struggled with his breathing. We were trying to figure out what else could be done and our family friend messaged us with Linda from Bay area Animal rescue crews information. Linda from BAY AREA ANIMAL RESCUE CREW called us and immediately suggested we take Griffin to Concord, Alpine Vet Hospital. That night we showed up to the Clinic at 6pm (they have great hours for working families too! )Linda Greeted us and took us in to meet Dr Freeman who in detail explained this Hib Laser that could help Griffin to walk again for hundreds of dollars not thousands!!!! He also did a few tests in front of us to test Griffin's reflexes. And he quickly was able to explain Parysis vs Paralysed. Griffin had a shot. And the Vet scheduled 7 visits for this HIb laser in a matter of 2 weeks. After the first treatment, it was clear we had some results. Griffin who was not lifting his head on his own, left the clinic with his head up! Linda called us that night for after care and to make sure we were doing everything in our power to give him the best chance. She double-checked our meds. She advised on what food we should be feeding him. (he wasn't eating at the time) her suggestions and help did not go in vain. I truly believe she is a godsend for our Griffin and for us. We kept him on the Steriods and he's been on some anti-inflammatories and pain meds for the last 27 days. I am happy to report Griffin is 90% better! He still doesn't take the stairs or do any jumping (we will be limiting that for a long time ) But he is walking with the occasional stumble. I feel like Linda and the Rescue crew and Dr Virk and Dr Freeman and the rest of the staff at Alpine are a Group of people who deserve this praise. And a BIG HUGE THANK YOU! OUR family is healed and this help means more to us than I can put in this review! They were kind to us and helped us as if it was their dog suffering! I will be singing your praise for years to come. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts !

Very knowledgeable people. They Care for all dogs that come in and are willing to help out with…read moreeverything and anything. New puppy came with shots, spaying and micro chipping for the price that we paid. We were unfortunately unable to keep they dog so I paid them to care for the dog until she found a new home. The dog was happy, well fed and went to a loving family. They genuinely care about taking care of dogs and have so much experience. I would recommend this place, especially if you are new to having a dog. They can teach you so much. Thank you Linda for caring for Coco and assisting us with finding her a new home!!