Oakland Animal Services

When I arrive at Oakland Animal Services and begin to change into my volunteer T-shirt, my "shelter shoes," and pull out my dog walking leash, my heart feels lighter and I eagerly anticipate what my volunteer shift may hold today. Which sweet, overlooked, block-headed dog will crawl into my lap, so grateful for the human contact and attention? Will I spend time with playful puppies gazing at me with doe eyes and nipping at a squeaky toy? Will I take an ailing senior on a gentle walk around the yard, followed by a much-needed ear massage? Will I tour a frantic dog-owner looking for their lost pet through the shelter and find their little guy bounding with joy behind the kennel door? Will I finally make an adoption match for that long-term dog that all the volunteers love and can't understand why she is still here? Any of these stories are possible, and they are the ones that draw me back to the shelter week after week.

I would recommend this shelter to someone because I enjoy the services I have experience in the past and the animals seemed to be well taken care of from what I have seen, and its in a convienent area.

The need to improve the quality of animals' lives in Oakland is tremendous. Friends of the Oakland Animal Shelter supports the work of volunteers and professionals devoted to the loving and humane care of animals at OAS by helping to reduce the number of unwanted animals, funding medical procedures which can give an otherwise adoptable animal new life, financing invaluable projects like outdoor areas for animals to exercise and socialize as well as indoor spaces where the public can get to know a potential new member of the family. Financial support by Friends of the Oakland shelter, through its growing donor base, helps to create an environment where volunteers can have a significant impact on animal well-being without feeling overwhelmed or alone.