Feral Change, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the Oakland community control and manage its feral…read moreand homeless cat population, is a great resource for information and assistance if you are struggling with how to manage community cats in your neighborhood. About a year ago, I noticed what looked like a litter of kittens hanging around outside near my home at all hours and in all weather conditions. I quickly developed the habit of looking for those kitties every time I passed by the trash cans where they often congregated. After some months, I posted an inquiry on NextDoor to see if the kittens had a caretaker. No one claimed the animals. Eventually, I crossed paths with one of the feeders of the cats who explained that they were free-roaming animals that neighbors put food out for and that one, in particular, had a serious tail injury. Concerned about the animals' health and their probable rapid reproduction, I submitted an online request for assistance to Feral Change and attended a trap-neuter-return (TNR) training session. After a few months, a Feral Change volunteer contacted me and arranged for a free spay / neuter appointment, if we caught and transported the cats. Trapping night was a nail-biter, but, ultimately, all three cats received spay / neuter and veterinary services, including a much-needed tail amputation. Things to know: If you submit an online request for assistance, it may take some time to hear back since the organization is run by volunteers. Feral Change will lend out traps, but you will need to capture and transport the animals yourself. If you cannot make one of the free TNR training sessions, instructional videos are also available on YouTube. If you make an appointment and change your mind at the last minute or are a no show without communicating with the organization, they will likely not offer you another free appointment since demand is so high and they are often not able to refill a slot without adequate notice.

Great organization! They really care about the urban abandoned and feral cat population and do all…read morethat they can to help trap, spay/neuter, socialize for adoption, provide vaccinations etc. Reach out to them and they will do all that they can to help.

Adopted a young dog here. They delivered him and did a home visit. I really appreciate the effort…read moreto rescue dogs and pair them up with humans!

These folks are great. The ranch is sprawling, clean, well attended and the staff is nothing but…read morefantastic. So many animals need homes. Our experience with the staff was top notch and we hope to someday be able to return to adopt one or two dogs. "Azaya Ranch Sanctuary is a non-profit animal sanctuary in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. What started out over twenty years ago as one woman's passion, has now grown into a full-fledged rescue and sanctuary that exists to save animals from euthanasia and find them loving, forever homes." Quote taken from their website.

I am so thankful to now know more about Pets Lifeline. I've just volunteered for an event in the…read morepast, attended a couple of fundraisers for them. The one that stands out was the Olate Dogs a few years back. They won AGT -- America's Got Talent -- back in 2012. So my only contact was on that basis of volunteering and attending. When I rescued adorable Angelina, a two year old feline that a friend was feeding but off a very busy road, they opened their hearts to her and took her in just last week. She's already up for adoption as of today! Check her out. She's a gem of a little girl. I already have six indoor kitties of my own and was really not looking to add another but wanted to make sure that wherever I did take her, she would be safe and sound. Well, Monna made sure of that. I just made a donation for all their kindness and now the rest is just finding Angelina that indoor only forever home. I'm actually going to visit her tomorrow and learn more about becoming a volunteer with this very worthwhile organization! Thanks for such a warm welcome and helping me get this little girl on her way to her next chapter of life living in a comfortable loving home! I recommend adopting from them and saving a life to everybody! They are wonderful!

I wish there were ten stars to shower on Rebecca and her team there at Pets Lifeline. I got such…read morepersonal help--Rebecca once having driven over an hour to my house to help me with the cat introduction!--these people go beyond the measure of any rescue I have ever experienced. I just can't say enoug about their commitment, care and concern for their animals and for the people who adopt them. Eternally grateful to you all at Pets Lifeline Love abounds, Lisa and Louie (aka Loonie)

We recently bonded our single bunny at SaveABunny. Marcy was so helpful throughout the entire…read moreprocess and so kind. We now have three happy bunnies and couldn't be happier! My husband and I also source orchard hay from SaveABunny now - it's so fresh and our bun buns love it! *We never experienced any kind of discrimination as an interracial couple (I wanted to clarify this - after reading past a review speculating discrimination). While communication sometimes required patience - we understand that Marcy is a total badass who runs a one-woman operation at the end of the day, when all volunteers have gone home. The amount of dedication, time, and love that Marcy extends to all of the bunnies in her care is truly heroic and admirable.

To build onto adopting Nori & Tofu, my boyfriend also found a forever bun here named Tyson. He was…read morethe sweetest boy that was going to be euthanized at San Jose Animal Shelter until Marcy & her crew saved him & took him to a vet he needed so that he can continue to live his life. We fell in love with him at first site - starting with fostering to ensure a good fit, with the intent to adopt him into our home. We already see him as ours & it's all thanks to the experience & care that he received at saveabunny.

My sister and I tried fostering a cat through Jake's Place, and failed. LOL. We kept the kitty!…read moreJake's Place is one of the nicest rescue organizations I've come across. If you're looking to foster or adopt a cat in Marin, this is your go to. The founder has dedicated herself to rescuing all types of cats in need of rehoming - kittens, adults, and most touching (IMHO), seniors. I'm a cat lover (my boyfriend might say cat lady) and have always made a point of seeking out the kitties that need the most love (old, special needs, etc.). Seems Jake's Place feels the same way and that's why I naturally gravitated to them. Deb is a total sweetheart and set us up with special food for Louie (he had crystals in his urethra when he was younger and eats S/O as a preventive measure) and prepared us with a starter kit (litter box, scratching post, toys). All we needed to add was the TLC. Sometimes I head over to Petco now just to ogle the sweet cats and chat up the volunteers. They are there every Sunday. And, kitten season is just winding down, so I still get my cuddle time in with the lil' ones before they are snapped up. But the sweeties that are 2, 3, 5, 7 years old even are just so darn appreciative of the love. They get me every time. Thanks Deb and team. Keep up the great work!

I have fostered one cat and adopted three cats over the years from Jakes Place. Each time, Jakes…read morePlace has been incredibly supportive and always available to provide advice when asked. This support lasted for years! Because of their foster system, they really understand their cats and can give a very good description of their behaviors - you have a good chance of knowing whether you match. They have also been very kid friendly. When I was visiting with various cat rescue groups, Debbie stood out for me as she was so patient and nice to my kids. Other rescue groups seemed to want to push me away once they found out I had children. Not Debbie. She talked with them and they loved talking with her.

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.

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.

These are the best cats you can get. Each one is a gem and will light up your life. I have…read moretwo...Jack and Daniel and both are highly intelligent, lovable and downright gorgeous. They are so much fun and are not scared of anything and love meeting new people. They really do have dog like personalities. Whenever we take them out everyone always is amazed by how big they are, the softness of their coat and their friendly and calm personalities.

First, the cat: We have gotten 1 Toyger from Styled in the Wild. We've had her for almost a year…read moreand she is such an angel, could not have hoped for a better cat. She is the sweetest most loving cat, and she is also so soft; really anyone who meets her falls in love with her. We were worried about our furniture because we had just redecorated, and not a single piece of furniture has a scratch a year later. We are actually about to get a 2nd cat from Styled in the Wild. Next, the breeders! Nicholas and Diane are amazing. We visited many times before getting our first cat, and have since visited before our 2nd. They always make time for us and spend hours as we play with the little ones. It is always a pleasure to hang out with them and hear about the latest goings on in the Toyger world! I highly recommend if you are considering a Toyger that you go with Styled in the Wild

I rescued a house sparrow when she was approximately seven days old. I claimed her as a pet and had…read moreher examined by a veterinarian, who provided a written report. The examination confirmed that she was healthy, although she had a broken left leg. The veterinarian stated that this injury would not affect her normal quality of life in captivity. I was also informed that house sparrows are legal to own as pets in California. From the time I rescued her, I hand-fed her every day from approximately 6:00 a.m. until nighttime and personally cared for her until she was one month old. During that time, I raised her as my pet and developed a strong bond with her. I later sought a second opinion from WildCare in San Rafael, which offered free veterinary care for my sparrow, Ducky. They assured me that Ducky would be returned to me after the examination. When I brought Ducky in, they asked what I planned to do with her. I clearly and repeatedly confirmed that I intended to take her back because she was my pet. Cate Mason informed me that the examination would be completed by that evening or the following morning. After receiving no update, I sent an email that evening requesting information about Ducky's condition. WildCare then called me and stated that Ducky was malnourished and unhealthy and therefore had to be euthanized. I told them that this was not true, as my own veterinarian had already examined her and confirmed that she was healthy. I asked them to return my pet to me. They replied that they would first contact my veterinarian. After I contacted my veterinarian and participated in a three-way call with WildCare, they informed us that they had already euthanized my pet, Ducky.

This review is the day after surrendering a blind fledgeling songbird, the third wild animal I've…read moreinvolved Wildcare with. My intention is to inform others of what I did not understand prior to surrender, that, in my opinion, is the difference between life yesterday and death today. Anytime a wild animal is found in distress, or in a distressing situation, there are many factors to consider, and in this case my only focus was on getting the bird to Wildcare as fast as possible. Had I known then what I know now, I would have considered Wildcare policy and decided to care for the bird on my own - understanding that this is of course no guarantee of saving the birds life. Yesterday the fledgeling finch clumsily landed by me as I was walking on a fire road used by mountain bikers. It's of course unusual for any wild animal to come close to a human; I observed and protected it as bikers went past and eventually picked it up. She did not have eyes, and there were no signs of injury - perhaps born without eyes. I looked up and saw lots of bird activity, so had a good idea where her nest was. Obviously her blindness is not feasible for surviving in the wild, so I took her home and called Wildcare after-hours explaining her condition. I made clear that I assume Wildcare will evaluate her, and if she is otherwise healthy, return her to me as I am willing to care for her needs longterm. The Wildcare volunteer, nor anyone else that I communicated with since then, corrected my assumptions that she could be returned to me if otherwise healthy. Marin Humane came and picked her up for the night, saying that Wildcare "loves" unusual cases such as her missing eyes - I felt optimistic and grateful. I made sure to repeat my willingness to care for her longterm this morning on Wildcare's voicemail - I understand messages can get lost from one person to another. Before calling me back Wildcare euthenized her, saying during our call that their intention was to give her the best life. This type of limited hangout languaging meant to purposely avoid the truth is the greatest wrong to me. If their highest priority is for a bird that is not in pain or suffering to be alive, they'd have let me take care of her. They took her life because her need for human care to survive longterm falls through the cracks of legality, and this is what I want them to be honest about...but they won't, so here I am. Given all of the times I stated my desire to care for her post evaluation, the least someone could have done is say that wild animals are never released back to a human for longterm care. The first animal I surrendered to Wildcare was a baby chipmunk with an infection. They told me he was a vole and euthenized him, saying that they did not have the staff needed to supervise him overnight. A few months ago I surrendered an adult bird with a neck injury who asphyxiated itself after eating in their care. Both of these cases were out of my realm of ability to care for, and I was also empathetic towards Wildcare's limitations. But yesterdays fledgeling was well cared for by it's mother, and had an excellent chance of survival longterm with care that I could have provided.