Hopalong Animal Rescue

Hopalong Animal Rescue works to stop euthanasia of companion animals in East Bay area through animal rescue, fostering and adoption.

The animals taken into Hopalong’s program are fostered in a home environment, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. The animals are evaluated for temperament and many receive basic training in order to make them better life partners for the people that will ultimately take them home. Hopalong applies a multifaceted approach to finding permanent, stable and loving homes for animals. Dogs and cats are featured on Hopalong’s website, accompanied by information on the size, temperament and needs of each pet. People seeking a companion animal may also find a pet through Hopalong’s’ In-store Cat Adoption program and their community-based Mobile Adoptions held each weekend. Hopalong prides itself in being accessible and responsive to the community. As part of this, we have staff and volunteers available to assist new pet owners with behavioral advice and post adoption support.

Hopalong rescues animals primarily out of Oakland Animal Services and Contra Costa Animal Services in Pinole and Martinez. These are all animals that would otherwise be euthanized due to lack of space, age or medical conditions. We also rescue animals from the community in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties as we have space available. Here is how it works.

Rescue: We go to a shelter or are called by a shelter when animals are at risk. We evaluate the animals and take the cats and dogs that we have foster homes. There are always more wonderful animals than we have room for so our staff and volunteers have to make difficult decisions. All dogs are temperament tested prior to entering our system. Our already alerted foster home meets us at the shelter or office. We do a basic medical check-up, give vaccines and flea prevention and send the foster parent home with supplies and a foster packet. Our staff are available to help foster homes with any questions they have.

Fostering: Foster parents provide the “tender loving care” our newly rescued friend needs. Many of our animals require extra veterinary care especially the young, senior pets and nursing. Under-age kittens and puppies sometimes need bottle feeding every two-four hours. When they are old enough and healthy enough to be spayed/ neutered, the foster parent takes them to the vet. As soon as they recover from their surgery and all necessary shots have been given the adoption process begins.

Adoption: Ready for adoption, pictures of the animals are posted on three different websites, they are brought to mobile adoptions and/or cats are placed in store window sites. Our staff and volunteers screen applicants and small dogs and puppies also receive home visits to ensure a good match. Dogs that show behavioral problems either in a foster home or in an adoptive home are brought to our dog training classes or receive one-on-one in-home training in with our trainer, Tammy Quirin. Providing both phone support and in-person training support at our classes or in the home is a unique service offered by Hopalong. Our high quality customer service is greatly appreciated by our adopters and results in our very low return ratio.

Note: PO Boxes will not show correctly on the map below.