My husband found our dog, Kelev, online at the Berkeley Shelter. We drove all the way from San Jose and they promised to wait for us if we got there late. They did jus that! Everyone was so nice and very helpful. To all the volunteers, (we saw several), thank you for your service to those animals. :) read more

Wow, it is nice to read so many great reviews from people that volunteer here. We got our dog Clover here about 4 years ago and it was a very positive experience. We came with a list of dogs that we saw online and immediately the front desk person directed us to Clover. She heard our situation and what we were looking for and had us go check her out. I am not giving the shelter 5 stars because I felt that the behavioral assessment that they did of her was a bit off and not very thorough. We also called a few weeks after we got her and never got a return phone call (eventually they did give an unrelated follow-up call and apologized profusely for having neglected it). If it were a big deal, we could have tried calling back, but we figured it out. Anyways, I am still amazed and grateful that they connected us with our girl and the resources that we needed to be good dog-parents. I recommend them regularly! read more

I love Berkeley Animal Care Services. One day I went in "just to look" and there was this energetic small cat that had just been amputated meowing at me to get her the heck out of there! For staff that read this - I'm talking about Pomp! Not only did Berkeley Animal Care Services rescue her from a kill shelter, they amputated her leg, removed her rotten teeth and found a foster parent for her before her surgery! They took care of our little three legged cat from A-Z without a doubt. Their staff is well educated and really care about the animals. read more

I went on sunday the February 23 to adopt a cat . And I had a bad experience with a person at the front desk by the name of Daniel wong. I wanted to know the history of the cat that I wanted to adopt. She had a nasty attitude. So people that want to adopt animals and give them a nice home should not be treated like that. So I received help from a nice gentleman at the animal shelter. So beware of evil people. read more

This is the worst place in the world. They just kill little animals after lying and saying they'll try to save them. If I could get them to eat and live, they could have. They spent all of an hour - or less - 'trying' to save two little kittens. All the tripe you hear about Berkeley being a no kill zone - don't believe it. This place gets NO stars. read more

Matthew 5:44 "I say to you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you". Janis Sowden was disrespectful and rude to me-twice as a prospective volunteer at Home at Last (never replied to my emails or phoned me back as promised). And struck me again at Berkeley Animal Shelter when she slipped me a "wrong" leash & would not let me get a "good" one to walk an 8 lb. surrendered dog. Her controlling actions denied animals of foster care and weekly walks away from their shelter kennel. I wish that no one in the future gets treated as poorly as me, humans and dogs. read more

This is a very well run shelter that is mostly "no kill" - if you fine cute little feral kittens in Berkeley, trap them and bring them here! Chances are they'll be collected for fostering and adoption by the BEHS, just a few blocks away. Great organization that really does a lot for the community - support the Berkeley shelter! read more

When you adopt here, the paperwork includes a statement that a pet can cost around $700 a year. In our case, the $700 came in the first week, because our excellent new cat had both tapeworm and a lethal viral infection that causes terrible mouth sores and that the vet says had clearly been going on for a long time. We will keep the little guy until he quits purring, and then take him back to the shelter to be put down, because our low income household can't justify another big vet bill soon. By all means adopt an animal, but if you come here, bring someone who knows about pet diseases, the way you'd bring a mechanic when buying a used car. The written assurance that the cat is in "good health" may just be a way of getting a dying animal off the shelter's hands. read more

This is the most miserably managed animal shelter I have seen in the entire SF Bay Area! Do not let the flashy new surroundings fool you - aside from the animals and the volunteers, many staff members are lazy and clueless as to where anything is. I volunteered on several occasions, once as a community service (for not wearing a seatbelt) and again for several very good orientations; however, the hygienic practices in the cat area were disgusting, as one of the young volunteers cleaned cat dishes in the same sink as cat boxes! When I needed a time sheet to verify the hours spent on community service, no one seemed to know where they were. The cast of dubious characters includes the officious sounding "officer" Kindel, who is too important to return calls and apparently only interested in young volunteers. Then there is Marcie B, who, when my dog escaped and turned up at BACS,on two occasions, harassed me about 'a re-homing', had me go back and forth to the Shelter, would not release the dog initially, saying he had to be neutered first, but then a message is left: "animals might have to be EUTHANIZED if I did not pick my dog up that particular day as space was limited". In case you are not aware, THIS IS A KILL CENTER and the number is shocking. I was constantly reprimanded, by Marcie B., that my dog - a pedigreed male Labrador named Paddy - was very popular, many people wanted him and she had a police officer friend in neighboring Emeryville who would be perfect as "Paddy is an alpha male and he needs an alpha male like the officer"; in other words, being an elderly woman was unsuitable, although I had Paddy since he was a baby. I n my opinion, Marcy B. either needs an alpha male herself or she is one.... I was threatened with a very heavy fine on Paddy's second flight, if I did not agree to let the officer take Paddy which was strictly ON A TRIAL BASIS. Without any written agreements, the Shelter released Paddy to the Emeryville officer and he called and said he would be coming to meet me. But no one called and no one came and when I went to the Shelter with a bus, in the cold, I was told by Carolyn,a nasty receptionist to go home! The previous evening, a FB message indicated help was needed and I had been scheduled (or so I thought)to be there. So much for the stupidity in scheduling. I am now waiting to hear from the Oakland District Attorney as I consider my Paddy to be stolen and will stop at nothing to get him back. I have lingering questions: 1) Why is this Shelter not trying to find homes for the dozens of lovely but very sad Pitbulls, who look up anxiously when someone passes by their glass windows? (2) Doesn't this police officer who has not returned Paddy, earn enough salary to buy his own dog and why wouldn't he take a Pitbull? A Shelter should make every attempt to find homes for the poor dogs who are there - predominantly Pitbulls - and not bully old people (or anyone) because they want to take their pets away. A fortune was spent on this magnificent new shelter with lavish fittings and supplies but management is sadly lacking and perhaps a few more lives could be saved if someone knew how to run the Shelter. read more

This is a special place. You will not meet a group of staff and volunteers anywhere that care so much for the animals. Although not a no kill shelter, they have an exceptional placement rate! You can volunteer at this shelter after taking the 2 hour orientation class. Pam, one of the volunteers here is the most compasionate person I have ever met. Although the building is old and could be more comfortable for the animals, the staff and volunteers work very hard to make this a home! Come visit the shelter, say hello to the residents. They are so happy to see you! Save a life and give an animal a home! Adopt! read more

The people here just rock. They just *rock*. They love dogs. They have good people skills. They're awesome. At one point, I tried to adopt a doberman from here, but she got snagged up by another family before I got to her. *sigh* (so yeah, it's first come first serve, like most city shelters). Despite the heartbreak, though, I realize now that it was for the better because I was soon offered a needy dober pup thereafter. And now that little dober pup is my sweet little dobergirl. You know what they say: everything happens for a reason. Anyways, BACS rocks. Even though I had my hopes and dreams slightly dashed here, I've had many more hopes and dreams blossom here. I distinctly remember two dogs that more or less changed my life at BACS: a sweet, emaciated, white, female boxer and a bait-dog (pittie). I swear, to see them in their "war wounds" with life and love twinkling in their eyes still...man, that really breaks a person down. It makes you think, maybe there is hope for humanity after all. I'll say it once and I'll say it again. BACS rocks. read more

I just called the Animal Care about a poor opossum trapped underneath a Corvette at 8:00am, on Curtis St. This poor animal was being chased by about 20 crows. The woman who answered the phone told me that the squirrel would just run. "Mam, it's not a squirrel, it's an opossum. They are nocturnal. It should be home sleeping." She proceeded to tell me that because Berkeley is a City environment, you will see opossums and racoon out in the day, just not as often as squirrels. WHO PUT THIS WOMAN ON TAKING PHONE CALLS FOR ANIMAL SERVICES? I rate this public service a big fat zero!!!! read more

I was with a friend here a couple of years ago, looking for her new baby after her beautiful Boxer-Lab mix passed away, and almost fell for a terrified little chihuahua here that was right across from a huge, loud, angry dog. He really needed rescuing but it just wasn't the right time for me, and she didn't find the right dog for her at the time either, but there are lots of good little buddies at BACS. The usual assortment of pitts, some large dogs that really belong guarding junkyards, but a lot of little diamonds in the rough. read more

The staff here is super nice, super responsive and so helpful. From when our cat ended up there because it was mistaken for a stray, to when they helped us deal with a raccoon-injured chicken (as well as a dead cat and a dead chicken) they have always been kind and caring and helpful. We super appreciate them. Thank you! read more

Five stars for the volunteers. I suppose to get 2 stars means that some things get negative points. And they do. My main gripe is that the adoption fees are posted, but what is included is a little vague. The pet listing said that rabies shots are included. They aren't. They include spaying and microchipping, but not the microchip registration. The volunteer told me they'd do FeLV/ FIV testing. But I adopted the cat before it was done, so now they won't do the testing. Now they say they don't do FeLV/FIV testing. So I checked the internet, and it turns out that many shelters do not do these tests, for strictly economic reasons. The rationale is that the animals are not in danger of transferring the disease if they are separately caged. The theory is that there's no contact among the animals at the shelter(?) Even so, a diseased animal can come in and go out the door back into the general population, with no warning. On the other hand, I'm told that it's irresponsible for me to expose my pets to an animal with unknown FeLV/FIV status. What a bunch of double-talk. Anyway, you can avoid this issue by adopting from places like the SPCA or ARF. The adoption fees are lower, and they include many extras like rabies shots and FeLV/FIV testing. You can help an animal and do yourself a favor. Still love you Berkeley animals and volunteers. read more

The staff at this place is incredibly rude. I have a young really sweet kitten that I have had to think about putting up for adoption (something which is hard in itself). When I started talking to the person who answered the phone they immediately told me they were going to kill him. I'm not much of a business person but I think that starting off a conversation with "well you are essentially murdering your cat" is pretty rude. When I asked the lady about whether she normally talks to people in that way she said yes. Just because people don't have the resources to support a cat (whom by the way doesn't even belong to them) doesn't mean I want to hear about him getting killed. Way to go Berkeley Animal Shelter thanks for letting me in on how you would probably kill him regardless. I will definitely not be supporting this place in the future. read more

I am a volunteer dog walker for this shelter. They do a great job, especially given the fact that they have a lot of dogs that are tougher breeds to place and they primarily euthanize only in cases of extremely poor health. If you've never been to a shelter before, it can be a bit intimidating to walk through the kennel the first time. The dogs will all be extremely excited to see you and most will start barking and carrying on. However, once you see the dogs out of the shelter environment it's another story. Most of them are better on a leash then my two mutts (unfortunately for me). The shelter also works with a couple of local training groups so that some of the rowdier dogs receive training for behavioral basics - which has made a big before and after difference. If you're considering a pet I hope you'll take a look at a shelter such as this one. Of course they have other animals as well, I'm just partial to the dogs. It's always great when another one gets adopted! read more

I'm a volunteer at BACS and you honestly won't find a shelter with a more dedicated group of staff and volunteers. Since they moved into their new facility, they have great kennels for all the dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and other assorted animals that find their way here. They volunteer staff does an incredible amount to help out here, so if you love doggies or kitties I highly encourage you to think about volunteering some of your time here. read more

Visiting berkeley animal care turned out to be one of the biggest blessings that's ever happened to me. And I don't exaggerate by saying that. 4 years back I had encountered a series of tragic losses in my family all at once. At that point all I had left was my cat who was 19 years old and held on as long as she could until almost 20 before she passed. After my loss of her, I visited this shelter in hopes of finding a new friend to bring joy into my life and vice versa. When I got to Berkeley Animal Care I was brought into the back part of the shelter where I met a wonderful woman who I told my story to. She sympathized with my situation and took great care to help me find a loving companion. I looked around unable to decide which cat would be the right fit as I was clouded with grief at the time. She guided me so kindly into helping me find the most precious and sweet-natured Feline I've ever encountered. The kitty I ended up adopting was named Kyle and I would have never recognized this kitten as a match for myself at first sight. You see, I had had an experience in my past with a male black and white kitten( actually the first pet I had ever had) who had unexpectedly passed after only a year with a very rare disease called saddle thrombus. It paralyzed the poor kitty and ultimately led to his very premature and untimely death. So a feline that would resemble those characteristics was not exactly what I was looking for. I needed to heal not be reminded of yet another loss i encountered some time ago. But this sweet woman in the back brought me out of my limited thinking and introduced me Kyle nonetheless. Turns out all those things really didn't matter at all. Yes he was was a kitten, yes he was male and black and white but he ALSO was the biggest bundle of love I'd ever laid my eyes upon and embodied a healing energy that is impossible to describe. She explained she had spent a great deal of time with kyle, and if I wanted a true lap cat...that was all love...he was the one. This little one had been dropped off at the shelter in an overnight box outside and obviously given a lot of love before he reached my arms. I lend much of his tenderness to the way he was treated at the shelter. I have since renamed him Romeo being that he is such a lover with not a mean bone in him. Truly hands down the best companion i could have ever asked for. Romeo has been an amazing friend and companion and continues to be so. Thank you so much to all of you at the Berkeley Animal Shelter for being so helpful and compassionate not only to the animals you take in, but to the humans that cross your path seeking to adopt. Your organization is filled with good people that have kind hearts. I no longer reside in Berkeley, but when I think of the bay area and the best things that came from my experiences there, I think of you all fondly and with deep gratitude. read more

Berkeley Animal Care Services - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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A superb shelter. Not only the new facility with sound-proof sections, (so important to cats who can not be subjected to endless barking) but the staff and amazing volunteers. The caring shows everywhere. We just got two cats from them, and may go back to rescue one more. read more

I've volunteered here for several years. I've witnessed staff in all sorts of circumstances, sometimes unpredictable with what shows up at their door. Because BACS does not refuse animals--unlike other rescue orgs and shelters--they end up with more pit bulls than average. And they take such great care of their animals with grants and volunteer training programs, the animals are socialized and trained so that they make wonderful companions for life. From BACS's Staff Director Amelia down, you can rely on them to be attentive, professional, accommodating, and generous in spirit, which, given their myriad responsibilities, is most laudable! Thank you, BACS, for providing a tight community to us Bay Area folks and caring for animals the way you do. You're the reason I keep coming back to volunteer. And all those sweet dogs. :-) read more

`We had a great experience here adopting a kitten. The person helped us pick out a kitten with a great personality. She really helped us find one that was right for us and knew the various kittens really well. We've had him over a month and he's the best cat ever! The check out procedures were smooth and easy. Everyone we met there was really helpful and kind. read more

BACS is a truly wonderful organization. The staff is very caring: they clearly want each and every animal there to find a home. They have the lowest euthanasia rate of any municipal shelter in the state, which is a testament to how hard they work to make sure every animal has a chance. I'd really like to plug their volunteer program. They're very flexible. After just two hours of training, you can come in and take out dogs for a walk or play with the cats and kittens anytime the shelter is open. The animals really appreciate it (they bond with you so quickly!) and it helps make them more adoptable for when people come in looking for a new companion. read more

I've volunteered at BACS for over 5 years, and am continuously impressed by the care and absolute dedication of the staff. ALL of them go far beyond what they have to do for the job, and instead work really hard on behalf of the animals. They are incredibly honest and up-front with adoptions- they don't want any "returns," and are very candid about whether they think an animal will be a good match for a specific household. They host playgroups for the dogs at the shelter, so that the dogs get really important canine interaction and socialization. It is a really special place. read more

These exceptional people helped me adopt my first dog. I don't remember all their names, but they were kind, helpful, & provided alot of useful information. The adoption fee for my puppy was $100, & included her spay, vaccinations, microchip, & a pink rhinestone collar! It is run by the city & the staff work very hard to keep it clean. If you are looking to add a new member to your family, please check them out! read more

As far as shelters go, this seems to be a good one. We adopted our second cat from here. The people in the cat room, in particular, are wonderful caring people who really know about cats, and really care about their well-being. I come in sometimes just to pet the cats and see how they're doing, and to say hi to the dogs. The people at the front desk can be a little gruff, but they mean well, and care about getting pets into a good home. They get a four stars instead of five because the facilities are a bit sun down, and the cat facilities could be nicer. I realize that it's because it's a city-run shelter, and that they don't have a lot of resources, but it's just not quite a five. If you have a home and a life that would accomodate a pet, come down and take a look at all the sweet dogs and cats, and save a life, while also making your own more fulfilled. read more

It IS as good as it gets! My dog died of cancer about 7 years ago and I was ready to find a new friend. I was dreading going here and seeing all the poor creatures. But there is an unbelievable army of volunteers taking care of these animals. It's very impressive. I saw people sitting with cats on their laps, I saw people going in the dog pens and stroking the dogs, I saw people actually sit in the cages with dogs! And of course there was a non-stop parade of volunteers taking the dogs out for walks. If you're putting off adopting because you're worried about the conditions you might find, you can just forget about it. Everybody here cares about all of these animals and does everything they can to make sure they are cared for and not stressed out. I signed up to volunteer and I'm looking forward to it! read more

so, it's been a year since my last review. I'd like to know if you non-seatbelt wearing offenders that have been forced to do "some type" of community service and chose an animal shelter have visit Pinole, Martinez, San Bernardino or any of the others and made your comparison? No, I thought so. Now go put on your seat belt so you don't have to be bothered by pit bulls and stuff. And go write up a bad review on some restaurant that left hair in your food or something. read more

When my dog escaped from my backyard, Berkely Animal Care picked him up and kept him safe until I could get him the next day. All of the staff members were very caring and my dog seemed quite happy with the whole experience. I would have given 5 stars if they were open longer hours....they close at 4 so my adventurous dog had to spend the night there until I could get him the next day. Thank you! read more

This "organization" continues to shock. They are giving a cat, Polly, two days over Father's Day weekend to be adopted or she'll be euthanized on Monday. I called to offer to sponsor the adoption fee to help Polly and was shut down rudely by whoever answered the call. To treat a potential donor with arrogance and unkindness is beyond words. This obviously comes from the top down to the (paid) staff. This was an opportunity to educate not demean someone. This is animal rescue? They should be ashamed of themselves. read more

So two of our small dogs recently decided to dig their way out of the backyard and went roaming around the neighborhood. Once we realized they were gone we searched the neighborhood, printed up flyers, posted ads on craigslist, and notified our local animal shelter (pinole animal services) and after several hours with no luck I decided to recheck the online listings at several local shelters. Alas I had found two new listings at BACS which matched our missing dogs. First of all..we live several miles away from Berkeley so it's still a mystery as to how they ended up here but anyway, we called to tell them we were on our way to pick up our dogs. The girl who answered the phone informed us that she had just given one of the dogs away!! Shocked & confused, we rushed to the shelter where we quickly found our remaining dog and were again told that our westie mix was already picked up by someone else. He had been microchipped by his previous owner which we were not aware of and the previous owner was contacted to pick him up. We then received emails from the previous owner stating that they intended to keep/steal our dog! Even with the proof of the emails as well as pictures of the 2 dogs together, the girl at this shelter would not tell us who took our dog. I was furious but thankfully, after doing our own investigative work and hunting the idiot down who attempted to steal our dog we got him back....with no help of BACS. I found the girl (with short curly brown hair) to be indignant, rude, and treated us like it was no big deal. She showed no sympathy, no concern, and didn't even apologize for giving away our dog even though we supplied her with proof of her mistake. Our animals are our family members and to have such an unforgiveable mistake treated so lightly greatly enraged me. Being in animal rescue and a veterinary technician myself,I had previously thought that this was a decent facility however this very near tragedy has greatly changed my mind about the poorly trained lumps they have sitting at the counter. Shame on that woman. read more

A beautiful facility with excellent, caring, knowledgeable staff. We lost our beautiful dog to old age and adopted a German Shepherd teenager who is wonderful. Shy in the beginning, he has blossomed into a stunning loving and loyal family member in only 6 weeks. Yes, we've been intensively training him but they were spot on about his temperament and kindness to cats. Our long haired rat-catching Maine Coon is grateful! read more

The animals here need love and adoption, so please don't let this review turn you away from them. However, I had a terrible experience here. I have been seriously looking for a cat, and today went back to the shelter for the second time. Being the weekend, it was crowded with many visitors and several volunteer staff. I asked one of the staff, a blond teenager, if I could handle one of the adult cats. She told me no, because the cats were not allowed out of their cages and I had to commit to adopting the cat before I could handle it. I asked to double check: "so I cannot handle a cat I'm interested in, unless I commit to adopting it first--based on seeing it through a glass door?" She affirmed yes. I explained that a few days ago I had been in the shelter and had been able to handle cats without this commitment. She said the policy had changed. At this point a volunteer photographer came up to take the cat I was interested in out of its cage, in order to take some photos. She informed me that the shelter was very concerned about germs spreading, needing to use towels when handling cats, etc so any handling was strictly regulated. I responded that whatever the policy was, I would be willing to comply in order to help me make my decision. At this point she grilled me with multiple questions about what kind of cat I wanted, how much I worked, etc., and told me I should think carefully about all these factors. I told her in fact I had, and again asked if/how I could handle a cat I was interested in. Her questions were presumptious in assuming I had no experience or clue, and seemed inappropriate given that none of the other visitors were being screened in this way (and were happily handling cats without any hurdles to jump through!); I felt judged and discriminated against. Neither she or the first volunteer responded to my query about handling the cat or showed any interest in helping me move along in my adoption process. Meanwhile a third volunteer was listening in, and she told me separately that from her training, she understood I was allowed to handle cats if I was looking to adopt, but she was new and did not feel comfortable going against the other two volunteers. I checked in person at the front desk and by phone, and confirmed with two different people that the shelter absolutely allows handling of cats by visitors. This obviously makes sense and is consistent with the policy of all animal shelters I've been to (though each has a different visiting procedure). Unfortunately, whether due to selective discrimination, confusion, or whatnot, the blatantly unfriendly response of some volunteers adds an unnecessary and entirely preventable barrier to finding humans for the animals in this shelter. read more

This is a very clean/ new shelter. The layout is nice and I like that each dog is given its own soft bed and toys and it seems like they have a very "hands on" staff that will walk and play with them regularly. However, trying to adopt one of these pups is nearly impossible. I understand the need to make sure each dog is going to a good home and responsible owner to limit the chance of it ending up on the street/ in the shelter again but the list a requirement seems to be never ending and impossible to meet. My partner and I already have a 3 year old 45lb German Shepard/ mix dog and have seriously considered finding another pup as a companion to our dog and new member to our family. We already have everything setup and ready to welcome home a new pal. I took a few trips to the shelter and have found a beautiful male pup 9 months old and went to inquire about how to adopt. The lady at the front desk informed me that the dog I was interested in was just placed into the shelter and was not yet ready to adopt and I would have to wait a few days. I asked her if they could let the pup out for me to meet and see if this is the one for me. Again she informed me that this was a new pup and I was not allowed to meet him. So I asked what I needed to do to get "setup to adopt him" again she told me that he would not be available for adoption for two days and to come back then. She informed me that both my partner, myself, and our 3 yr old dog would have to be present if we wanted to adopt.(which I understand is not an outrageous request. They just want to make sure everyone gets along and we're a good fit). The issue is my partner works the day he would be first available for adoption and unable to get that day off. I asked if he would be able to come in on a different day for them to meet and she told me no... That we would both have to be present at the same time. Which I think is a little unrealistic... If we were to both come in at the same time vs. different days either way we would both be getting a chance to meet the staff and the pup. I told her that the next day we would BOTH be available to come in would be two days after the pup would be available for adoption. I asked if there was a way we could pre-pay the adoption fee and hold the pup. Again she told me no. They do not hold dogs... (Which again I would totally understand if we weren't paying, but we offered to pay the fee) we wanted this pup and we're trying every available avenue to secure/ adopt. With every question and every attempt to arrange an adoption we were met with a big fat NO. The only option she gave us was to show up early the day the pup became available with ourselves our dog our MONEY our paperwork and to be ready to "blindly" adopt a dog that we have not had a chance to pet or meet in person. And this is a KILL shelter. So you would think they would be more accommodating to someone who is obviously serious about adopting a pup. But apparently they want to make it nearly impossible... And have very unrealistic expectations. The staff at the front desk was neither accommodating nor friendly. read more

What I can say with great assurance after being a BACS volunteer for 4 1/2 years is that the staff is 100% devoted to the care and well-being of each and every animal. The time and effort put into the animals that come through their door is unparalleled. With the addition of a clinic/hospital area, they meet more challenges than the average stray presents. Kudos to a group quietly caring for the uncared for! read more

Absolutely the best shelter I've ever visited, with a really strong committed friendly staff of volunteers who exercise the dogs daily and give all of the cats loads of attention. It's amazing what they can do with city-funding and the overload of animals they get in in a variety of physical and emotional states. I deeply respect and appreciate the realism and kindness with which they treat the animals. Particularly notable is the attention they give to the large amount of Pit bulls they take in--they have weekly training courses with professionals, make sure they're exercised regularly, and do house checks to ensure they go to a home where they can be trained and taken care of according to their special needs. Whereas with most places I've lived if I found a stray animal the shelter would be a last resort, here I would feel confident that if I dropped an animal off it would cared for and treated kindly until a good home was found. read more

There was a white little dog wondering around in our neighborhood for the past three days. We were really worried about the dog, and relieved when we found out it was sent to the animal shelter today, and more relieved when we went to visit the animal shelter and found how nice it is -- clean, warm, and with a lot of care. read more

For a public city shelter, they do a great job. So thankful that they are here. I have gotten one dog here in the new site. Volunteers and staff are caring and responsible. I support them entirely. read more

I will forever love this place because I found the most precious and lovable dog there. The staff and volunteers there are so helpful, patient, invested in your decision, and they love love love animals. I had lots of questions, wanted to spend time with several dogs, and then wanted to spend lots of time with the dog I wanted to adopt. They were patient, friendly, answered all my questions, gave me lots of helpful information, and one of the staffers came on a good walk with me and the pup. It was such a nice experience, and I am so happy with this wonderful precious well mannered addition to my life. If you are looking for a pet, go to the Berkeley pound! read more

I can't say enough about this place! I have gotten 2 of my 3 dogs from here and they are great. My first dog, Clover, a Chihuahua-Mix I got when I brought my Basil a Pitbull-Mix down to chose a sibling and she systematically rejected every other Pitbull I chose (Pits are the best dogs ever by the way!). I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to get such a small dog but was quickly reassured by the staff that the Pit-Chi combo is quite common. They were right, Clover is the boss of Basil for sure! When Clover went missing over the 4th last year, Berkeley Animal Control not only provided helpful information regarding how to find him but also posted him all over their Facebook page. He was finally found after 5 weeks. My second dog from here is (Pink) Floyd, another Chi-Mix who came to the shelter emaciated and near death. For 6 months Berkeley Animal Control nursed Floyd back to health and cared for him. Floyd is now a healthy, happy, little chunky monkey who loves going to the shelter to visit all his heroes. read more