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    Cal Paws K9 Rescue

    4.5 (50 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

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    Cal Paws K9 Rescue Photos

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    we love Charlie

    This is one AMAZING group of volunteers!! I became a foster in 2025 and have gotten to know a few of the incredible individuals who run the organization. There is more heart and soul in this group than any I have ever been a part of, and I'm impressed every day with all that they do. We just "foster-failed" and adopted one of the puppies we're fostering now and couldn't be more grateful for all they do for our community.

    Happy foster dog & happy foster human!

    CalPaws K9 Rescue is a seamlessly run dog rescue. I have fostered for a few rescues and shelters and CalPaws is above and beyond the rest. The support they give their foster families is outstanding. Every supply a dog needs, quality veterinary care, access to trainers for behavioral concerns, well-organized adoption events, consistent presence on social media, and a positive attitude of gratitude through it all. Honestly, the transparency of rescue is important to me and I see CalPaws as one of the best. If you are considering becoming a foster, I highly recommend gifting your energy here. And if you are considering adopting a dog, you will get a dog that is a great match & has been given an amazing chance to thrive because CalPaws K9 Rescue stepped up for them. Photo of my foster pup who has found an amazing forever family.

    Dixie finding her perfect sleeping spot.

    From start to finish, adopting our new fur baby was perfect. After having a great conversation with Jessika, she knew exactly who would be the perfect dog for our family and life style. Cal Paws K9 Rescue does incredible work in rescuing dogs, often from very difficult situations, getting them the needed medical treatment and finally, placing them in just the right kind of home environment. Thank you for our amazing snuggle bear Dixie!

    Our sweet tripod.
    Amanda M.

    In May Cal Paws assisted with us rescuing an injured Belgian Malinois in our area. He had what we would find out was a broken elbow. Previous owners had dumped him in the orchards. If it wasn't for Cal Paws helping us through this process we wouldn't have a beautiful playful Kane. Cal paws was able to refer us to an emergency vet and also follow up with an excellent surgeon. Kane is doing wonderful and fits right in with our pack. Alex was a saving grace. I've worked with local rescues before but this group far exceeds any encounter I've had. I am forever thankful for all her help. Daily you can watch their posts on Facebook and see all the sweet souls they are saving. If you cannot adopt or foster please make a donation. Anything and everything helps keep this great rescue.

    BEACH DAY!!!
    K D.

    After we had to put our 13 year old German Shepherd down last spring, we knew we wanted to rescue a GSD once we were ready again. Originally, we were working with GSD-specific rescues until we connected with CalPaws K9 and reached out about a pup named Reese in October. They reached out right away (we actually missed the first few calls because we didn't recognize the number and weren't expecting to hear from them so quickly) and we had a wonderful discussion about our history with dogs, GSDs, and what to expect since this was our first rescue. Reese had been with his foster mom for about 6 months because he has a medical condition and she wanted to be sure he went to the right home. She had used that time to work with him and continue his training - the love she had for Reese was unmistakable. When we finally met Reese, his foster mom gave us the rest of his medicine and taught us how to administer it. The adoption process was smooth and well-documented, and we welcomed him to our family the day before Thanksgiving. When I started sharing pictures of Reese on IG, I quickly learned how popular Reese is in the CalPaws K9 family, and how much love they all have for him. Overall a GREAT experience and we're so happy to be part of the CalPaws K9 family!

    Savannah, my tripod shepherd husky mix who I fostered to adopt
    Lindsay T.

    I have adopted two dogs from CalPaws, both of whom are tripods. The rescue is very well run considering that it is solely made of volunteers operating on donations. They are responsive, caring, genuine people who love the dogs they work so hard to find homes for. I'm especially impressed that they even pay for amputations when they could so easily pass on these expensive medical cases. Alex, Breann, and the whole team are great people and I highly recommend adopting from them.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Cal Paws K9 Rescue

    Review Highlights - Cal Paws K9 Rescue

    We were overwhelmed, to say the least, but Calpaws K9 Rescue stepped in and helped us every step of the way.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Contra Costa Animal Services - Brad Pitt

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    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

    My longtime friend 'big cat' passed away a few months ago. My husband asked if I had thought about…read moreadopting another. So I started casually looking. Meara, a 1 year old black cat was on the website and I was drawn to her so I went to meet her in person. It was Saturday and it was busy! Sandy was the only one working with cat adoptions that day and she was running! To be clear there were a ton of staff and volunteers, it was just busy. Sandy was friendly about the wait even as some other lady was being hella rude to her, mean people suck. Moving on. I filled out the visitor paperwork and liability release to meet her and looked at other animals while I waited. So many animals need forever homes! All different kinds of dogs and cats and some other animals too! Room after room of dogs, it's not time for 1 more dog at my house just yet but when it is, this is where I will be watching for her. When Cindy got to me she was so sweet and cared so much for all the cats. She knew specifics about Meara, she had obviously spent time with her. I filled out her paperwork and 25$ and an hour and a half later we were on our way home. The animals here have been seen by the vet, have their shots, have been neutered/spayed and have been chipped. If you are considering getting a new pet, or fostering one definitely look here first. I feel like it's the way to go for sure.

    Dog Over Breed - Our pup loves all her day care friends

    Dog Over Breed

    (53 reviews)

    This place is absolutely unacceptable, and I regret ever trusting them with my dog…read more Even two years later, I still feel strongly enough to warn others. After I left an honest review about my experience, they responded by threatening to sue both me and a rescue I volunteered with at the time. That alone should raise serious concerns about how they handle accountability. I visited daily for the entire month my dog was there, so what I'm saying is based on what I personally saw over and over again--not a one-time impression. Their "training" methods included physically poking dogs in the side and neck. The dogs did not appear to be properly fed and did not have consistent access to water. Over that month, I watched dogs lose weight, become withdrawn, and show clear signs of stress and shutdown behavior. I also personally saw a dog who was extremely underweight, had visible sores, and smelled strongly of urine and feces, as if she had been left sitting in it. No dog should ever be in that condition--especially in a place people are paying to care for and train their animals. It honestly concerns me that they still have positive reviews, because in my experience, the longer a dog stays there, the more concerning the changes become. I'm posting this again now because someone I know recently considered bringing a foster dog there. I made it very clear that no dog in my care will ever go anywhere near this place. If you care about your dog, do your research, ask questions, and trust what you see. I would strongly urge anyone considering this facility to visit frequently and unannounced.

    Highly recommended! Very knowledgeable and caring about dogs. They've done great things with our…read morepups over the years.

    The Cat Chillin Zone

    The Cat Chillin Zone

    (20 reviews)

    Came in to see the cats. I approached the front and there was no greeting. I was being stared at…read morelike I was an alien. So I asked can I just come in? No one answered. So I walked in. Sat down it got quiet... then a woman approached me with such malicious tone and look and asked if I signed in. I told her oh no I wasn't aware, so I got up to go do so. She then states and there's a fee! I was like uhhhh ok? And she just stared at me with disgust. So I said you know what its ok you guys aren't very welcoming so I'll just leave. Nothing was said. I get the feeling if you don't fit to "look" you're not welcomed. Unfortunately that's the world now. So sad.

    I was very much looking forward to my visit. I came here last week and was very excited to visit,…read moreand boy, was I greatly disappointed. First off - smell. It hit me the moment I walked in. The owners talked about having air purifiers now, but if they did, it was insanely ineffective. Litter and cat pee immediately upon entering. I understood there were many cats here so I tried to look past it. When I walked in, I was greeted by a very chaotic young worker. She was loud, unprofessional in how she handled welcoming visitors, and was unable to do her job without defaulting to her manager/the owner.. She talked too fast to fully understand everything she said. We had to sign a waiver that stated that we could get hurt inside and that they wouldn't be responsible or whatever. That was the first red flag of my visit, because why are we letting aggressive cats roam about when there are visitors here? I can't imagine what injuries could happen if you took young children here. The worker then let us in and showed us around for about 5 minutes... she pointed out multiple cats that we should not approach under any circumstances because they can be aggressive and will "bite the hell out of you." Again, why are we setting visitors up for injury by letting these cats roam about? I can understand if cats have "bad" days where they act up, but keeping them out front constantly while knowing they are not friendly to visitors cannot mean any good.. When I started petting one of the cats she took it as her opportunity to walk away from me. Right after saying to watch out for cat pee on the couches. Ew. Every single cat seemed very stressed. It was a cramped room with many cats hiding or shying away from both workers and visitors alike. I was hissed at by two cats and my finger was bit by one, though I did not make a scene about it (and decided to leave very soon after) especially after how they pressed me about the liability waiver. And if you think about it - they would only have a waiver if there was past injury to visitors that had happened. A lady even mentioned that the cat that bit me was being mean for a couple days before... Why in the world are we forcing the cat to socialize if they don't want to? One thing I want to mention is that the workers were all quite young and definitely unwelcoming, very cliquey. They looked like they were one giant high school friend group working together (and failing to work professionally and properly for it being a true organization). They only spoke to each other, and quite loudly at that, while constantly walking up to the various cats and petting and handling them without care. I tried to approach a worker once or twice with questions and was promptly ignored, as if they didn't hear me at all. Honestly, with all of the touching and handling from just the workers alone, I can understand just how some of these cats were a little spicy. And regardless if they were a worker or volunteer, you are signing up to do the labor that is required of you professionally to maintain this workspace. If they can't do it, they shouldn't be here. If they're only here to bother and pester the cats, I can't comprehend the point of keeping these workers around... you pay a fee as a visitor to get in, so these kids looked like they were here just for free entry. All in all, I would never return to this place. Honestly my biggest concern is for the welfare of these cats. Too many cats cramped in one room, obviously stressed due to the aggression they display and visitors are warned about, the lingering cat pee smell, uncleanliness, the bad vibe from the workers. I don't know how this place stays open, organization or not. Those cats deserve a better home, and I hope that they'll soon be rescued from this self-proclaimed rescue org.

    Shake Wiggle N' Roll Animal Rescue - Shake Wiggle N' Roll

    Shake Wiggle N' Roll Animal Rescue

    (11 reviews)

    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!

    Cal Paws K9 Rescue - animalshelters - Updated August 2026

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