We have adopted 2 cats from IBOK over the last 3 years or so. A wonderful tortie grandmother at…read moreonly 2 years of age (!) and a tiny little girl black cat. What IBOK does is they go to the shelters, such as San Jose and pick out the cats that are perfectly adoptable but face euthanasia because of over crowding and foster them and find them homes.. clearly this is expensive and time consuming to hold these cats and bring them to adoption fairs most weekends. These are just regular people doing this with mostly their own time and money. if you think they make any money doing this (??), well, you're not very bright, sorry. Despite the name it's not just kittens because our 2 year old tortie was an adult when we took her. They also host a black cat fair because, sadly, black cats are the last to get adopted. It's silly, but for some reason perhaps superstition, people don't often adopt black cats and dogs and those are commonly put to sleep at shelters. One of the cats that I remember they had for a long time was a special needs Siamese kitten with a genetic problem that caused his skin to be very fragile.. this is clearly the sort of problem that would cause most shelters to immediately put the animal down. Why would a shelter hold on to an animal like that when space is a premium?? IBOK stepped in, paid for the genetic testing and held the animal for many months until the right home was found. They didn't ask for the new owner to pay for the testing. The shelters just don't do that. They are a big machine and cats last maybe two or three weeks max then they're put to sleep. Anyways, we're on our third IBOK cat.. this one also a black cat but a boy. He is a little rough and still a big clumsy kitten but they gave us plenty of time to see if he can get along with the others. My opinion is that they clearly love the cats they rescue and want to find them homes. One of the things they ask is that if you can't keep the cat you adopt cat, please give it back before you drop it at the shelter. This is for the cat's own benefit (as I say, the vast majority of cats at shelters are put to sleep) -- it also shows these people do love what they're doing.

The owner was extremely rude and unwelcoming. I walked in with my two young daughters, ages 5 and…read more6, to inquire about a kitten, and we were treated very disrespectfully. She was dismissive from the moment we arrived and was quick to shut the door in our faces. I can't say for certain whether race played a role in how we were treated, but the interaction left me with the strong impression that we were not welcome, and I felt that there may have been discriminatory behavior involved. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this place. There are plenty of businesses that understand the importance of treating customers--and especially children and families--with basic courtesy and respect.

We went to an adoption event they were having this weekend and we fell in love with a pair of…read morekittens filled out the adoption application so we could meet them. Spoke with the owner for about thirty minutes before even heading inside to meet them to give her the baseline of things that typically raise concerns to cat rescues. We have two dogs, live in a studio, and they would stay in the bathroom while getting acclimated to us and the dogs. We let the rescue team know both dogs grew up around cats and have never shown any issues and they know to go to the door for potty time (ensuring the back door would not be left open for the cats safety). During this conversation I heavily emphasized and talked about my Pitty mix because she is off weird with people and we won't push that but she has never shown any signs of aggression towards other animals. They were very open to our situation and told us they do a "trial" period to ensure a smooth transition for the cats and even if it doesn't work out after the three weeks we can hand them back over with no ties. We were super excited to find a rescue that seemed open and willing to work with us. I have been the pet industry for over six years so I know how finicky cat rescues can be sometimes and was super excited to thought I have found some place different. We spent 45 minutes looking at the cats and they were absolutely adorable and we wanted to go through with the adoption process. We talked to the owner she approved our application and we set up at time for Monday for her to drop off the cats to us. We were told we would be getting a text from the foster that same evening confirming drop off time and sending over some pictures of the kittens. We didn't get anything that night knowing they were running the adoption event through the weekend and they may be busy we decided to send an inquiry email Sunday at around 3:40 pm. We didn't get a message back until almost 9pm on Sunday. The rescue staff knew both of us worked Monday-Friday so meet up would have to be after than. We went to the pet store on Saturday to buy the basic cat necessities and once we got a message confirming the meeting and that we would be receiving the cats we would order the bigger things (cat tree, things for outside of the bathroom, etc.) but given we weren't texted until 9pm the night before everything had not arrived or is now arriving today (Tuesday). When the foster arrived to our home we immediately felt judgment due to the location of our home. Before entering our home the foster asked to meet the dogs we allowed for her to meet one but again with my pit mix she is ultimately nervous around people and it's not worth stressing her out and the foster let us know that was a "concern" for her but ultimately something I didn't feel comfortable stressing my dog out for. After entering the home it just felt like a very judged and invasive process. Under the impression based on the interactions with the dogs she would not be leaving the cats with us she still proceeded to take pictures of our home which we do not know if they have been deleted or not. Ultimately I do not blame the rescue or the foster as I believe they are doing what they believe is best for the cats but I do also want to warn people that the adoption process was very very invasive and left us with an overall icky feeling. They got our hopes up and seemed super welcoming and willing to work with and then completely flipped when it came to meeting at our home and we were judged for a number of reasons. We set up our home for two new additions and still have materials being delivered to our home with no use now. Ultimately we just find it very rude and distasteful.

I recently applied to adopt a kitten and reached out to her foster. I was very interested and…read moreexcited, as I have a large home I own and years of experience caring for cats throughout their entire lives. I was surprised to be told to "pursue other kitties with other rescues." I completely understand if the kitten I applied for was ultimately a better fit for a home with other cats, and I respect making placement decisions in the animal's best interest. But the way this was communicated felt dismissive and unnecessarily hurtful. This experience has put me off from working with this rescue again. I hope all their sweet cats do find wonderful homes, but I can't recommend this organization based on how adopters are treated.

Every member is voluntary only and no one is paid for their service. They provide medical as well…read moreas spay/ neuter for homeless cats. They also provide food for volunteers to feed the homeless cats. If cats appear sociable, they continue to socialize the cats and find forever home for them.

You know i really hate to give a one star on a cat rescue but I've been reading some other reviews…read moreand whoever's answering the messages from people they seem not to care or they're very rude I've called a few times i even had someone in the cat rescue from another state send a special email requesting for me to be a foster, but they still decline me WTF why would you decline someone just because they're disabled and they don't drive or they're low income?! you are discriminating towards someone who was a disability and you know that's against the law and it saying you're in San Francisco? but when i called you, you said you moved to Oakland because of covid,and you're only looking for people who can drive or support you in buying the supplies. That's not what it's about. Show more love and compassion that you state that you have for animals change your ways and if the owner is the one that's discriminating towards me and other people shame on you and if not? then you contact me back, and let's see if you can have me Foster? because, as they say, you snooze and lose out on an amazing person who can help you out. Thanks for reading my review. ~Lizzie~

I adopted a dog here last summer. I stumbled upon the post online on a Thursday & decided to apply…read more That evening I received an interview phone call (I actually ended up chatting with the volunteer for an hour!) The following morning I received an email that I was invited to meet/adopt. I paid the $75 deposit and scheduled a meeting for Sunday morning, to give myself a day to think it over. Friday night I spent some time looking into the rescue since the previous steps had happened so quickly. After reading reviews, I was definitely upset & VERY hesitant after reading how their meet and greet process goes and where the dogs come from. Saturday I mulled it all over, and decided to go visit the dog Sunday with a list of restrictions. I went early to stake the place out, it was definitely sketchy in a back parking lot and felt weird. Eventually the dog rounds the corner with his foster parents and we meet. The dog was exactly as described & his personality and demeanor matched perfectly to what I had heard about him. He jumped into my arms and I knew then there was no way I was leaving without him. I spent an hour there with the dog & the fosters. They answered all my questions, didn't rush me, and I really got a sense of the dog. Months later and he is still the same dog I met that day- I know this isn't the case for everyone, but I'd say give it a chance!

A hard "no" for this group! I wish I had seen the reviews on numerous sites before getting involved…read morew/ them. Horrible experience and have witnessed some harsh interactions. My best friend had similar experience. Some of the volunteers are wonderful, but management poor, unprofessional.

Such a wonderful organization. The dedication of the group is amazing, and they make a real…read moredifference in the lives of so many cats by providing care, finding loving homes, and also helping cats in the community. And they even put up a microchip scanner right outside their adoption center.

Do NOT adopt from Bay Area Cats. They do not care about the kittens or you. They let me adopt a…read morekitten with parvovirus who got sick within days of being adopted. They won't offer to help the hospital cost and won't even offer to reimburse the adoption fee. Other organizations do both! Please choose somewhere else where you and your little love are better protected and cared for. It feels icky, like they care more about quantity and meeting numbers spayed over providing quality care and service. I am so hurt.

We found a young sparrow that seemed injured and unable to move much. We sent them videos of…read morecurrent condition of the bird. They were very responsive and asked us to take bird in to them for care. We gladly will be handing bird over to them for medical observation & care. I'm so glad we have organizations like this on our community.

I called for an injured crow from Fremont since our rehabilitation center here is temporarily…read moreclosed for a while. Authorities and resources centers instructed me to contact this facility and a very rude receptionist picked up. I understood that the location could not take in a "Fremont bird" asked her kindly if there are any recommendations of what my next steps would be and she straight up told me "No I can't help you." I hung up and received a message to contact the same place for help and again, was met with the same rude tone from the lady. "Yes you called earlier no we cannot take your bird." lasked her what I should do for overnight care since all of the sites near me are closed and again refused to help me. I am left dumbfounded with the lack of assistance, care, and actual work being put into this. Why hire this person in the first place?

This community center is full of very warm and caring people! It's a combination of both employees…read moreand generous volunteers. They help with many different services for people in need for bill pay assistance or other like programs as well as help with bus passes and food. What I think is really cool is that they have a little shopping area, I guess like a little mini store where you can choose what you need. You get a shopping chart and are able to shop their store. They have the quantity that you are allowed per shelf and also have milk, eggs, and meat to supply at every pick up. They also offer a free desert item and flowers with is nice. I think this place is amazing and a good place to look into as far as community services go.

I am so GRATEFUL for their services and commitment to assisting us in need. Low-income/financial…read moreresources to keep you from drowning! Find yourself in GREAT HANDS.

I would like to thank my parents and the countless religious-related movies dubbed in Vietnamese…read morethat I used to watch endlessly because that was what shaped my heart to be the way it is now. I came from a rough background, a harsh childhood but that never prevented my parents to teach and discipline me. and to show me that a little compassion goes a long way. Due to restriction at work, I wasn't able to promote this drive but thank to Beth L., Craig M., Cristal C., Noelle J., and one of my coworkers for making this drive successful. I collected quite a few backpacks and felt good that we helped a few families. The evening I decided it was time to drop the backpacks filled w/ school supplies off, I was amazed to see the generous hearts that was there before me; I saw huge piles and piles of backpacks... I'm not there to help everyone because realistically I can't but if I can make someone smile and not have to worry about the expenses of getting a backpack and school supplies then it's definitely worth it. Donations and volunteerism isn't just during the holidays. Do what you can. Help others.

What a fantastic organization. Please consider signing up for their mailing list if you'd like to…read morevolunteer as spots fill up quickly, another plus is that children are welcome to join to help out too, which many organizations require them to be 16 y.o. and up.