Coffee, Ricotta and Romano

Coffee found her home today after a long stay at Valley Humane.

And, Ricotta and Romano found their forever homes after a long six month stay.

Check back soon for their stories! :]

Ant, Doc, and Smokey

Ant and Doc were adopted together today!

Ant and Doc came to us with about 12 other cats from a home that just had too many animals. They were very young. We had named them after "The Insects", "The Winnie the Poohs" and "The Seven Dwarves". Ant was from the "Insects", while Doc was from the "Dwarves". We watched as most of these cats were adopted early May and June, and we had a few linger behind, such as Pooh and Happy. These two were adopted by one of our volunteers, Sharon. See posts further down for information on this. But, nobody ever seemed anxious to take Ant and Doc home, which was sad, because they were two of the sweetest from those two dozen cats. We even think they were part Siamese because of their long skinny faces and lanky tails. Well, long story short, they are in a great home now, and we could not be more happy for them! Congratulations to these two great cats.

And, Smokey found his forever home. Smokey was not with us long, as he was a Siamese. But, boy, did he have a lot of character...quite the mischievous one he was. Many people saw his beauty but wasn't ready for his active personality. We are so glad he found a good home, and many will miss him.

Christmas Day at Valley Humane Society

Christmas Day is truly magical at Valley Humane Society- that may sound silly, but I will explain why I say this. First, we are closed on Christmas and their is a sense of serenity between the cats and their feline counterparts when things are quiet around the shelter. They all play together peacefully and nobody ever seems to be in a bad mood. I think that when we are closed, they relax in preparation to "show themselves off" to the public when we are open.

Asides from that, Christmas Day is when all of the "Parcels for Pets" presents are opened and distributed to our homeless animals. In case you are wondering what parcels for pets is.....Parcels for Pets is modeled after Toys for Tots. Community members, volunteers, and staff could come pick up an ornament off our tree that had a homeless animals Christmas wish on it. They could then go out purchase the gift the animal wanted, wrap it up, and bring it back. We had the tree out for over a month, and collected a plethora of gifts! Today, I opened all of them and distributed them to cats. What a blast! I made a video with more information that I am hoping to post on our new VHS Youtube channel later. Keep your eye out!

In another sense, it has been pouring rain all day! I'm hoping our old modular doesn't float away into the arroyo anytime soon, ha ha!

Happy holidays to everybody out there!

Six adoptions! Yes, really!

The day before Christmas Eve, always a busy day filled with cooking, cleaning, and present wrapping, right? Wrong! Today six families picked out a forever friend here at the Valley Humane Society. Licorice, Catalina, Leo, Rockie, Cupid, and Jack were all officially adopted and here are their stories.

Leo was the first one to find a home today. Leo was one of the 13 kittens dropped on our back door step on Friday, August 13. We typically cannot take this many kittens in at once, let alone any animal dropped off on our back step, but there was something special about these 13 kittens. We had to take them in. We split them into 3 different litters according to their weight- one litter being "The Signs". Leo was one of them, of course. We quickly got them spayed and neutered and made them available for adoption. Slowly, they all found their forever homes. Soon enough, we got down to two- Leo and Virgo. A family came in yesterday looking for a new addition. Unsure of what they wanted, a staff member handed them Leo. It was truly love at first sight. They left for the night to pick up the supplies they needed, and came back at 10:55AM this morning to pick up their new feline friend. It was a great match, and we are all so happy for Leo. Congratulations! Here is a picture of Leo back from August.

Immediately after, Rockie was officially adopted by his foster family. This family had adopted Blue Jay (his sister) two weeks before, and could tell she was lonely. They came in one day just to visit, and could not leave little Rockie behind. They swooped him up and fostered him for a couple weeks. While Rockie was at the shelter he had sprained his ankle after jumping over a cage- that is why the family fostered him for a couple weeks- to make sure it healed properly, and it most certainly did! They were thrilled to take him home, and love him very much.

As we finished the paperwork for Rockie's adoption, a man came in looking for our most recent "Pet of the Week" Licorice. Gleefully, we brought both him and Licorice into our work room, where they both fell in love with each other. It did not take long for this man to decide this was the cat for him. He had another cat at home which he was slightly concerned about, but with patience, anything is possible and Licorice never seemed to mind one other cat. Licorice came to us from Fairmont Animal Shelter back in May before they closed. He was saved by one of their staff members who had noticed he had been there too long and not having any luck finding a home. We went and picked him up and he stayed here for 7 months. Licorice never did adjust to shelter life, having thirty plus roommates was very stressful for him, and all he wanted was a sunny window to lay in. Everybody here is so happy to see him adopted and finally in his forever home. He even served a short time as Kitty City Mayor where he tried to lead his fellow feline companions- he wasn't the best mayor we have had- but I definitely think it helped him get adopted. :) Here is a picture of Licorice days before finding his forever home.

After a short lunch break we enjoyed, our last three homeless animals of the day found homes. Catalina was the first to go of the three. A nice woman who had been emailing me about her for a few days came to meet her. Catalina curled up in the woman's lap and began to snuggle. Both the lady and our beautiful Catalina seemed to be in heaven. It was no longer than 20 minutes after meeting, that the papers were being signed and Catalina was on her way home.

Cupid was our last cat adoption of the day. A nice family who had been previously interested in Catalina came in for another visit. After discovering that she had been adopted, they spent a long time in Kitty City searching for a better fit. The woman was looking for an older cat that would spend the days relaxing in her lap and keeping her company. Cupid seemed to be a great fit for this situation- and the family noticed this. Poor Cupid had a rough life before being adopted. He was left behind when his family moved away, so the neighbor next door took care of him while waiting for a kennel to open up here at VHS. Cupid was fully declawed and over ten years old, so he needed a home fast, as he could not defend himself outside. The neighbor truly wanted to keep him, but his son was highly allergic to cats, and it would have threatened his family's health and safety. He fed Cupid and watched after him for almost three months until a kennel opened up. Once a kennel opened here, it did not take long for Cupid to find a home. He was a very handsome, vocal kitty who adored people.

Lastly, the dog we had all grown to love and adore was finally adopted. Jack was rescued back in October from a shelter in Fremont. We knew he would be a very active dog and would need help with some training with kitties and to settle down. He was about a year and a half old and we believe he was part Chihuahua and part Italian Greyhound (what a mix, right?!). The greyhound is what made him so active. His favorite things to do were run, go on hikes, and curl up in laps. After many failed adoption tries, we did not think anybody would ever have the patience this puppy like dog needed. We could tell he was getting sad, so we would let him sit with our office volunteers and answer phones and greet people- he loved it. Finally, a great lady came in last night, and found the dog she was looking for. I talked to her about his active needs and slight training he would need, and she did not mind! It was absolutely delightful. She went home to talk to her family and they all gave her the "thumbs up!". Jack was officially adopted just before 5 and you could tell he knew that he finally found his home.

Happy Holidays to all of these amazing pets and their new families.

We wish you the best, and a happy new year!

New cats!

We rescued 8 new cats today from local rescue organizations. Here are some pictures and background information on these cats.

Carla- 4 Month Old Grey and White DSH

Carla was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter in Fremont. She is a talkative girl who loves any sort of human interaction.

Casey- 3 Year Old Black And White Tuxedo DLH

Casey was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter. He is shy still, but definitely purrrrrs and enjoys a good belly rub.

Cameron- 7 Month Old Orange Tabby DSH

Cameron was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter. He's a bit of a "flirt" and loves giving head butts and kisses.

Carlos- 3 Month Old Brown Tabby DSH

Carlos was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter. Though he is a small kitten his big voice makes up for it. He's a snuggler and cuddler.

Celina- 8 Month Old Calico with Tortie Markings

Celina was rescued from Tri City Animal Shelter. She is another chatty cat who loves attention and laying upside down showing off her white tummy.

Chatty Cathy- 4 Month Old Hemingway Polydactyl

Cathy was rescued from Tri-City Animal Shelter. She has 6 toes on both her front feet and 5 toes on both her back. Chatty Cathy is a ball fur of energy and loves to be held.

Jayden and Chase- 6 Month Old Brown Tabby DSH's

Both of these sweet kittens were transfered from a local rescue organization. They are still not so sure of a shelter situation but are learning to warm up to people slowly.

Gucci, Pooh and Happy

Today was a great day as well!

Gucci was adopted first today. She went home with the same family who adopted Bert & Ernie three months ago. They were looking for an addition that would fit in perfectly. Gucci was that perfect fit! She could handle playing with the other cat and loved the kids. Nothing phased her. Gucci was one of the "Designer" kittens. We rescued her with her siblings and mom from Contra Costa Animal Shelter back in July. They were just days old. She had a rough life to start out, and it's only gone uphill since then. Why she had a rough life? Her mom was not always the best mom, she occasionally tried to down her babies in their water bowl. Good thing the foster home they were in did a great job of stepping in as mom when needed and helped monitor them to make sure they were safe!

Now, we only have one kitten left of the "Designers", and that is Prada. She looks exactly like Gucci and has a cute paint tipped tail.

Then, Pooh and Happy were officially adopted by our fabulous volunteer Sharon C. Pooh had a rough life to start as well. In his first few months, he consistently was giving false positive reads on his FIV tests. It was a mystery that we could not figure out. We monitored him and tried to make sure this was not true. Thank goodness it was not. Eventually we got negative reads, and it stayed that way. Then, he started acting very strange, and we thought he had contracted a fatal illness, so Sharon took him in to spend his possible last days with her in a home. Fortunately, he overcame whatever he was sick with, and now is a happy, healthy, energetic kitten. Sharon wanted him to have a friend, because kittens love company, and she adopted littermate Happy as well. Now they are a happy family, and it is great news!

Congratulations to Happy, Pooh, and Gucci!

Scooby and Freddie

Scooby and Freddie just found a home!

Scooby and Freddie were two kittens of the "Scooby Doo" litter. Their other two family members are mom, Velma and brother, Shaggy. Shaggy was adopted two weeks ago and mom is still at the shelter.

We rescued these cats when they were babies at ECAS. They went into foster with a great volunteer for about a month while they grew larger. After their spay and neuter surgeries, they were put into Kitty City!

Congratulations to these great kittens!

Saturday, December 18 was a success!

This morning, we started out with a new volunteer orientation, where around 25 people came to learn about the VHS programs and about our history. It was great to see so many people come, especially just a few days before Christmas. I am so thankful for all of these new volunteers we will have!

Shortly after, we had visitors lining up outside before 11 to see three small Siamese kittens we rescued from East County Animal Shelter. Siamese cats are always a big hit here at VHS, understandably. All at once, crowds of people came to see them, as well as other cats and kittens we had. It was great!

By 11:30, Glam and Glitter were getting adopted and....Sphynx and Thumbelina were getting adopted together! The folks that adopted Glam and Glitter were absolutely ecstatic to be taking such great kittens home. Both cats got along together very well and will be living with a 13 year old cat. As for Sphynx and Thumbelina, they are going to a great home! I already heard from their new family that their new names are Buster and Lily. Sphynx came to us back in May as a 5 day old kitten with his siblings and mom. We sent them into foster for a while so that they could grow and nurse off of mom. Once they were all big enough, they were spayed and neutered and brought into the shelter to be adopted. Since Day 1, we knew Sphynx's mom was feral, so we released her out back of VHS where she is now happy. We all see her daily and love her; her name is Egypt, and she is a DLH Tuxedo cat.

Things did not slow down any after these four were adopted. Shortly after, adoption paperwork was in the works for Glitz, one of the three Siamese from ECAS. The lady who adopted her was thrilled to have met her and could not wait to finish the paperwork to take her home. Glitz and her new owner were a perfect match, and I am so happy for both of them.

After a short break in chaos, a family came in looking to adopt a pair of kittens. We helped them by naming off all of the pairs we have currently...which is a lot (Scooby & Freddie; Prada & Gucci; Leo & Virgo; Decaf & Latte; Boq & Elphaba; Ant & Doc; Bruschetta & Tiramisu; Laverne & Shirley). They spent a couple hours with us choosing the best fit, and after much thought, they knew Boq and Elphaba were chosen! These were our sixth and seventh adoptions of the day!

And lastly, we finished the busy day with Tiramisu's adoption. A nice mom and daughter came in looking to adopt, but not sure what they were interested in. They were also the family who came to us and adopted Sweetie this time last year! Tiramisu's purrs and playfulness stuck out right away. This adoption again was a perfect match, and I am so happy for them.

Throughout all of the adoptions today, we also held a small "Volunteer Appreciation Get-Together" for our volunteers. We brought in some holiday goodies, and had treat bags as a thank you to our volunteers. Thank you to all of the volunteers who made it out today. And, of course, thank you to ALL of our volunteers who work so hard every day for us.

Below are some photos of our adopted animals from today:

Tiramisu

Thumbelina- now Lily

Sphynx- now Buster

Elphaba

Boq

Glam

Glitter

Glitz

Patch Article: The Divine Nine

Below is the link for the Pet Corner article of the week. This week it is about Valley Humane Society's 9 longest residents.

Happy reading!

http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/meet-the-many-felines-ruling-kitty-city

Muffin

Muffin went home tonight!

Two roommates came in last Thursday looking for an older cat who had been here a while longer than most. This is always great news when people are interested in an older cat. Muffin instantly caught their eye as she is a beautiful brown tabby. After thinking about it for a few minutes, they knew it was a perfect match. Over the weekend, they set their home up for a new cat and bought what they needed. After they got off work on Tuesday afternoon, the man came in and filled out the necessary paperwork and took her home!

Muffin was rescued from Contra Costa Animal Shelter in late April, along with several of her kittens (Bran, Oat, Flax, Cranberry, and Blueberry). We put her into foster right away as her babies were very young. After over a month in foster, they were all fixed and put up for adoption. The first weekend they were here was our huge "Adoptathon" weekend back in June. We had put mom and babies in a dog-sized kennel on the ground in Kitty City. These babies were of the first to be swooped up. Of course, kittens never take long.

All of the volunteers waited patiently for mom to find a home after that weekend. And, now that she has been adopted, everyone is thrilled!

Congratulations Muffin!

Gift Certificates!

Do you know somebody close to you who is looking to adopt a pet? And, are you looking for a gift to buy them for the holidays?

If so, consider purchasing a Valley Humane Society gift certificate! They are on sale now!

Shaggy, Monet, and Count Dracula

Shaggy was the first homeless shelter pet to find a home today. A lady who had visited previously brought her daughter in to find a family pet. Her daughter was immediately drawn to the "Scooby Doos"and after visiting for a short time, she knew Shaggy was the perfect fit. They also expressed a lot of interest in Scooby, so maybe they will be back! It's always great to see siblings go home together.

Next, Monet found her forever home. The great family who adopted "Angel" the dog a few weeks ago, met Monet their first visit here. Since then, Monet was lingering in their minds; when they saw Monet in the Independent they knew it was a sign sent to them. The family understood Monet's "crazy" self and could not wait to bring her home. Monet will be living with many other animals and will hopefully be much happier! As Monet was Mayor, we are looking to elect a new Mayor, as well as Co-Mayor! So far, it's looking like Licorice and Oceania have the most votes. What do you think? Leave any suggestions in the comments. And, vote in the poll! On the right hand side of the page. The poll will close on 12/15.

Lastly, Count Dracula found a home! A family who had traveled all over today looking for a dog thought they were out of luck. Our afternoon office volunteer handed them Dracula, and they fell in love. After family deliberation and a long walk with the lucky pup, they made their decision to complete the adoption.

I am thrilled for these three animals...especially Monet and Count Dracula, as they had been with us too long- in cat and dog terms, respectively.

Patch Article: Taking Care of Sick Cats...Information on Feline URI

Below is the link for the Pet Corner article of the week. This week it is about feline upper respiratory infections.

Happy reading!

http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/taking-care-of-sick-cats

Chanel

Chanel was adopted today! Chanel was a mom who we took in from Contra Costa Animal Shelter near the end of July. At that time, she had tons of itty-bitty kittens, just days old. They needed to be rescued from a county shelter situation immediately.

Luckily, we were able to take them in as we had an open foster home. Mom was so elegant, and her babies were a variety of colors, including torties, grey tabbies, buff tabbies, and brown tabbies. Seeing as they were so special and unique, we named them "The Designers". Mom was Chanel, while her babies included: Vera, Versace, Gucci, Prada, Armani and Gabbana.

After their spay and neuter surgeries, they all moved into Kitty City. These cats all were so much fun to play with and watch. Each one had their own personality that really shined, including Mom. I enjoyed watching them grow and slowly, some of them were adopted.

To this day, we still have Gucci and Prada, two brown tabbies. They are the best of friends, and I would love to see them go together...the funny thing is, they look so alike, they could be twins! The only difference is that one of them has a tan splotch on her tail that looks like she dipped it in a paint can!

Seeing our "momma" cats get adopted is one of my favorites. Seeing all that they have been through, and how hard they worked is very special.

Congratulations Chanel, I hope you are happy in your new home!

Pet of the Week: Monet

Monet is as pretty as a picture and is looking for her forever home. She arrived here last February as a shy kitty and has grown into an outgoing cat. She’s not a big fan of the shelter atmosphere and really needs a space to call her own. If you adopted Monet, you would be very lucky to own such a spirited and extraordinary kitty. Monet also holds the coveted honor of ‘Mayor of Kitty City’. To learn more about our adoptable animals, call 925-426-8656 or visit the website www.valleyhumane.org. Valley Humane Society is located at 3670 Nevada Street in Pleasanton and is open Tues- Sat from 11AM to 5PM.”

Iris, Gabbana, Vera, Blue Jay and Ranger

We had three kittens and two puppies find homes today!

Iris, Gabbana, and Vera were the kittens. Blue Jay and Ranger were the puppies!

We still have a plethora of kittens, and the last puppy, Rockie, available for adoption!

Patch Article: Introducing a Baby into the Family

Below is the link for the Pet Corner article of the week. This week it is about introducing a baby into a home with a pet.

Happy reading!

http://pleasanton.patch.com/articles/introducing-a-baby-into-the-family-with-a-pet