Oakland, CA – Oakland Animal Services is Oakland’s only open admission shelter, helping over 6,500 homeless, lost and injured animals annually. Since 2020, OAS has undertaken a significant restructuring to save more shelter animals’ lives. By focusing on returning lost pets, increasing adoptions, expanding foster programs and supporting people in keeping their pets, OAS has decreased euthanasia for dogs by 67% and has not had to euthanize dogs for space since 2019.
Overcrowding has become an epidemic for shelters across the country, and in Oakland dog intake has been increasing over several months. In 2022, OAS took in 555 more dogs compared to the same period in 2021. There is now an urgent need to find 50 big dogs a home by Monday, January 16, 2022.
OAS is asking the community to save an animal's life by adopting a dog. Those who want to help but cannot adopt are encouraged to foster a pet, which will help address the immediate crowding crisis.
“The changes we have made in the last three years, as well as the tremendous community support that we have received, has made it possible to achieve the lowest euthanasia rate for dogs in OAS’s history in 2022. We’re asking for people to step up in a big way to help our dogs now,” said Ann Dunn, Director of Oakland Animal Services.
OAS is holding extended adoption hours on Thursday, January 12, at noon to 7:00 pm, and Friday, January 13 to Monday, January 16, from noon to 5:00 pm. Adoption fees for big dogs are waived during this special adoption event. Staff and volunteers will be available to help with matchmaking and expediting the adoption process.
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About Oakland Animal Services.
Oakland Animal Services is Oakland’s only open admission shelter, helping over 6,500 homeless, lost and injured animals annually. Since 2020, OAS has undertaken a significant restructuring to shift resources from a shelter-based to a community-based model, with an overarching goal of keeping families together. By focusing on returning lost pets, increasing adoptions, expanding foster programs and supporting people in keeping their pets, OAS has decreased euthanasia for dogs by 67% since 2019. To learn more, visit Oakland Animal Services or follow OAS on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
