At just seven-months-old, Dream was a sweet, cuddly, and playful kitten, despite her battle against a progressive and painful eye infection that would take her sight. Dream was transferred into our care with severely scarred and ulcerated eyes that were no longer responding to treatment. As her health quickly deteriorated, our medical team jumped into action to perform a double enucleation surgery—the only way to save her life.   Although we were certain that surgery was the best option, we also knew that Dream’s recovery would be long, and that she would need love, patience and support a ..read more

Contact: Emily Murphy Director of Development & Communications  Berkeley Humane  emurphy@berkeleyhumane.org  510-845-7735 ext. 211  Over 30 Craft Breweries to Support Shelter Animals at Award-Winning East Bay Beer Festival  BERKELEY, Calif. – In honor of the upcoming National Beer Day, Berkeley Humane has announced tickets are now on sale for Pints for Paws, 10th Anniversary craft beer festival. Voted Best Fundraising Event in the East Bay for several years running, Pints for Paws will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 2 pm – 5 pm (1-hour earlier entrance ..read more

Berkeley, Calif.— Berkeley Humane is hosting its first ever Halloween adoption event where the tricks look a lot like “sit, stay, and bark” and the treats all taste like bacon. The aPAWcalypse, a fee-waived adoption event, will take place at 2700 Ninth Street on Saturday, October 28, 2023, 10 AM – 2 PM.  “There is nothing spooky or frightening about bringing home a new loving pet, especially when they are dressed in cute costumes,” stated Jeffrey Zerwekh, Executive Director at Berkeley Humane, “However, too many animals at the shelter is scary so all adoption fees will be ghosted at aPAWc ..read more

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society (Berkeley Humane) is offering an entire day of free virtual presentations to celebrate the relationship we have with our dogs. From the joys and benefits of dog training, to working with fearful and reactive dogs, to preventative health care, or delving into the process of grieving a pet loss, there’s something for everyone on Sunday, October 22, 2023. “Our dogs play such an important role in our daily quality of life,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, Berkeley Humane’s Executive Director. “We owe it to them and ourselves to never stop learning how to enhance their he ..read more

WHO & WHAT: In the wake of the Maui wildfires, Berkeley Humane joins Greater Good Charities in partnership with Ameriflight to transport more than 40 Maui shelter dogs (33) and cats (11) to the Bay Area to find forever homes. This emergency flight is part of a larger effort, led by Greater Good Charities, that delivered humanitarian supplies to the people of Maui and airlifted more than 130 shelter dogs and cats off the island to new homes. Sending shelter: Maui Humane Society Receiving shelters: Berkeley Humane, Marin Humane, Animal Rescue Foundation, E ..read more

Animal “hoarding” is when someone is housing more animals than they can adequately and appropriately care for. It is a complex issue that often encompasses mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. When a hoarding case is discovered and an owner is cooperating, a rescue coalition is often formed among several partner organizations. The coalition must move quickly not only because the owner can change their mind, but also because the animals are usually sick, malnourished, and fighting for their lives. Berkeley Humane recently joined with two other organizations to relocate eigh ..read more

Lilo’s name in Hawaiian means “generous one,” because she freely showed her love to everyone she met, but that loving personality was hiding some very complicated medical issues. Lilo, a 10-year-old female, came to us from the municipal shelter in Kona as part of our Aloha Dog Project. Dogs are transported by tourists back to Berkeley to have a better chance at adoption. Her first medical exam made it clear she was going to be a big project for our volunteers and staff. Lilo’s extensive dental disease was concerning, and xrays showed that her limp was the result of an old pelvis fracture, but ..read more

Declawing is the amputation of the last bone of each toe which would be like cutting off your fingers at the last knuckle. Declawing can cause paw and back pain, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death) and lameness. Removing claws also changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground which can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Declawing is illegal in certain cities, including Berkeley. Auryn (named after the Celtic word for gold), a 4-year-old female cat, came to us having been declawed by her owner who failed to provide her the proper medical care to heal appropriat ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 15, 2023 Contact: Emily Murphy Development & Communications Director emurphy@berkeleyhumane.org Berkeley, CA.— Animal shelters are filled to critical levels so Berkeley Humane is hosting over 20 rescues and shelters at their Berkeley shelter on Saturday, August 26th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to place more than 200 pets into loving homes. “If you have been thinking about adding a new furry family member there has never been a better opportunity,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, Executive Director at Berkeley Humane. “This event is special in that every adoption makes room f ..read more

Adventures and Outings are Fun-But Do Them Safely By Nancy Frensley, CPDT-KA, CAP2, CGC/Trick and FitDog evaluator, AKC Scent Work Judge Senior Behavior and Training manager Whether it’s a trip to the beach, the dog park, hiking in Yellowstone or just a potty walk in the rain, every outing can be a joy.  It’s easy to take for granted that these will have positive outcomes and you will return home with a rested dog; both of you safe and healthy. We are always conscious of our dogs’ safety, but what about our own?  A recent article in the Washington Post talked about dog walking injuri ..read more