Search Results for: adoption
Adoption Inquiry Form
Please answer the following questions to submit your interest in adopting a pet from Valley Humane Society. This information is a starting point for our conversation about the needs of a particular animal, and assists us in making an appropriate match between adopter and pet.
Potential adopters must be at least 18 years old and (if under 21) have a co-adopter age 21+ at the same residence.
Safe Adoption Guidelines
Here are the steps we are taking to continue serving the pets and people in our community during shelter-in-place, while adhering to social distancing recommendations and sanitation procedures to help prevent the spread of this virus.
The Shelter-in-Place Adoption Process
- Animals that are available for adoption are posted on our website, AdoptAPet.com and PetFinder.com.
- Potential adopters can contact Valley Humane Society, preferably via email, at info@valleyhumane.org or on our main phone line.
- When a potential adopter inquires about a specific animal, they will be sent an adoption application via email.
- Once the application is received by Valley Humane staff, an adoption counselor will call the applicant for a phone interview.
- If approved, the adoption counselor will schedule a meet and greet with the animal, adopter and adoption counselor.
- Adoptions are scheduled one at a time with at least an hour between each visiting family to minimize social interaction,
- Before entering, all visitors are asked to take a 5-question health check and sign a household waiver acknowledging that they understand and agree that upon entering the premises of VHS, there exists a risk of injury or sickness due to infectious diseases, viruses or other harms, including, but not limited to COVID-19.
- Visitors will be asked to wear masks while visiting the adoption center.
- Once the adopters leave with the animal, the room and associated touch points are disinfected
Meet Your Match® Cat Adoptions
Introducing Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™, an adoption program for adult cats 9 months and older! MYM helps adopters fall in love with a cat that will be a good match for their personality and lifestyle. Each adult cat that comes to Valley Humane Society for adoption into a new family will undergo a short behavior assessment and be assigned one of nine Feline-alities. Adopters simply fill out a brief survey to quickly see which cats will be a good fit for their home.
If you’re planning a visit to VHS to adopt an adult cat, please download a copy of the Cat Adopter Survey and bring it with you. We will score your results at our front desk.
Of course, sometimes there’s no accounting for love… If you have your heart set on a kitty that doesn’t match your recommended Feline-ality, there’s still hope! Our adoption counselors can speak with you about what to expect in bringing that cat home and how you can provide the best experience for your new pet.
The MYM program was developed by the ASPCA® to increase the potential for successful, permanent placements of adopted cats. Find your match today!
The Feline-alities
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Private Investigator |
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Secret Admirer When it comes to relationships, I’m very level-headed. I don’t leap in paws first, if you know what I mean. But give me a little time, and then I’ll shower you with purrs, head-butts, and plenty of lap time. In the meantime, you may not see a lot of me – but I’ll be thinking of you. |
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Love Bug Do you seek affection? I do! If you also like petting, purrs, and paws kneading your lap, I think we might have A LOT in common. I’m looking for “someone who enjoys quiet times and togetherness.” Could that someone be you? |
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The Executive I have to say, I’m a busy cat. First, I’ve got to check out what’s happening out the window. Next, I’ll see if any closets or cupboards need looking into. And then there are my naps – can’t be late for those. I can fit a little socializing into my schedule. Shall we plan on breakfast and dinner? I hope you like kibbles. |
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Sidekick Like all sidekicks, I’m just plain good company. I like attention, and I also like my solitude. I don’t go looking for trouble but I’m no scaredy-cat, either. If you are looking for a steady companion to travel with you on the road of life, look no further. |
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Personal Assistant You’re working on the computer? Let me press the keys. Reading the paper? I’ll hold the pages down for you. Watching TV? I’ll just plop in your lap so you can pet me. I love an orderly household, don’t you? I’ll help you with all your chores, and I’ll help you relax when we’re done. You’ll wonder how you ever managed without me. |
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MVP I’m a savvy cat who knows the score. I’m pretty unflappable, too. I don’t mind entertaining myself, but a human companion at the other end of the couch and a nice scratch behind the ears always make my day. If you’re looking for a resourceful addition to your team, think about signing this Most Valuable Pussycat. |
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Party Animal I’m a cat on a mission: PARTY! I love to play and explore and test my limits. I’d love to play with you, but I can make a toy out of anything: pencils, post-it notes, potatoes. If you’re looking for some laughs and someone to liven up the party, think about inviting me. |
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Leader of the Band I’m a cat who does everything in a big way. I not only like to be in the middle of things – I like to lead the parade. I’m an adventurous cat, but I’ll still make plenty of time to show you my affectionate side. I’m the demonstrative type, you might say. Want a cat who’s brimming with confidence? That’s me. |
Maddie’s Pet Adoption Days
Free Pet Adoptions May 30 and 31
Join us the weekend of May 30-31, 2015 for Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days, a nationwide adoption event to place all our cats and dogs in qualified homes. It’s all “Thanks to Maddie,” and the goal this year is to empty out to the whole place!
Free adoptions will be offered throughout the weekend at the following locations and times:
Valley Humane Society • 3670 Nevada Street, Pleasanton (map)
Saturday, May 30 • 8 am – 5 pm
Sunday, May 31 • 10 am – 4 pm
Stoneridge Mall • 1 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton (map)
Saturday, May 30 • 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday, May 31 • 11 am – 5 pm
Handsome Dan
Animals will be adopted on a first-come, first-served basis during the event and may not be placed on “hold.” Standard adoption criteria apply. Potential adopters are encouraged to fill out an adoption application ahead of time to speed the process. For more information about what to expect the day of the event, please read our Adoption Days FAQ sheet.
Available animals will be displayed online beginning one week prior to the event, and will indicate the location where the animal will be physically located. Online listings and locations will be kept as up-to-date as possible, but please understand there may be delays between the virtual and the actual.
Special Hours Prior to Event
Emma
VHS will have slightly altered hours the week leading up to the adoption event to accommodate the preparation involved:
Tuesday, May 26 • 10 am – 4 pm
Wednesday, May 27 • 10 am – 4 pm
Thursday, May 28 • 10 am – 2 pm
Friday, May 29 • CLOSED
About Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days
Thanks to Maddie, a sweet Miniature Schnauzer who brought her owners tremendous joy, the non-profit organization Maddie’s Fund® is proud to bring the 2015 Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days, a free adoption event geared toward saving companion animals to Alameda County. Valley Humane Society, along with surrounding area shelters and rescue groups will come together at locations throughout our county for one goal: to empty the shelters over two days, May 30-15, 2015.
Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days is a two-day, fee-waived collaborative effort of countless people trying to save the lives of shelter animals, and testament to what can be done when people come together and rally for a common cause. For each pet adopted, Maddie’s Fund gives participating shelters from $200 to $2,500. This funding enables the shelters and rescue groups to save and treat more animals throughout the year, all thanks to the love and inspiration of one little dog, Maddie.
For a complete list of adoption locations and to see the available pets, go to Adopt.MaddiesFund.org.
For more informaiton on Maddie’s Fund® or Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days, visit www.maddie’s fund.org.
About Maddie’s Fund ®
Maddie’s Fund is a family foundation founded in 1994 by Workday co-founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, who have endowed the Foundation with more than $300 million. Since then, they have awarded more than $153 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education, and pet adoptions across the U.S. The Duffields named Maddie’s Fund after their Miniature Schnauzer Maddie who always made them laugh and comforted them during stressful business times when Dave was launching a start-up company. Maddie was with Dave and Cheryl from 1987-1997 and continues to inspire them today.
Since its creation in 2010, Maddie’s® Pet Adoption Days has donated $24.6 million dollars to participating adoption groups and successfully rehomed a total of 31,819 dogs and cats across the country.
home adoption — old
Are you ready for a new pet? It’s a big commitment! At Valley Humane Society, our goal is to find a permanent home for each dog and cat in our care.
Adoption
Pet Adoption
Our goal is to find a permanent home for each dog and cat in our care. We start by using our knowledge of the animal’s individual needs and personality to make the best possible match with a new family. Then we stick around to provide support and counseling during your pet’s transition to its new home. View our currently available animals.
Animal Intake
At Valley Humane Society we strive to save as many lives as possible. In order to do so we accept animals from a mixure of sources. We prioritize rescuing animals in imminent risk of euthanasia from other rescue groups and our local County shelter. We are the only no-kill facility in the Tri-Valley region offering any private owner surrender of pets. All private surrender requests will be screened and we reserve the right to deny these requests based on certain circumstances. Acceptance of surrendered pets depends on available space, animal’s age, health & socialization. All owner surrendered animals will be placed on a 4-6 month waiting list. Once our wait list gets to a point of extreme length we will close it in order to fairly communicate our abilities to the public. At Valley Humane Society we reserve 10% of our kennel space & foster homes for geriatric & special needs animals. Once the 10% is filled we can not accept anymore animals of this description until a spot becomes available. Following these guidelines helps us to maximize our life saving capabilities.
Recent Adoptions
April 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
We have had a lot of great adoptions lately!
First, Sunset went home on the 26th. Sunset was a gorgeous kitty who was only in Kitty City a few days before she was swept up. Her new family was here at the center for quite some time before they knew Sunset was a perfect fit.
Then, Reggie was adopted! Reggie was rescued from Kings County Animal Services and brought to us by a rescue we work with. Like Sunset, he was only in Kitty City for about a day. His new family absolutely adores him. It is great to see.
Reggie was a favorite here and will be missed. He loved sleeping on his back and lounging in the sun.
Then, Bart was finally adopted! Bart was one of the “Simpsons” litter we rescued early in January. His mom was adopted right away and so was his sister Maggie. His foster family adopted Homer. Lisa and Bart stuck around at the shelter for a while though. It was very sad. We put them as Pet of the Week in the local papers and on our home page. Lisa was adopted after being seen in the newspaper, but Bart still stuck around. Finally, one of our staff member’s friends came in to meet him and fell absolutely in love. She swooped him up! His new name is Jib, and he lives with a cat. Congratulations Bart!
Lastly, Angus found his forever home. He now lives with two Black Labrador Retrievers who adore him. The three of them are best friends and it seems like they always will be. Congratulations to this awesome dog!
* For those that don’t know, Angus was a Labrador/Dachshund blend 🙂
Adoption Follow Up: Swiss
February 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
“Pounce de Leon (AKA Swiss) is absolutely wonderful! These pictures were taken shortly after Christmas. I’m still trying to get some action shots of Pounce leaping, jumping and charging around the house like a freight train but he is so fast that I get mostly a blur. Pounce is content to be held and cuddled, preferably soon after he wakes up. He has stopped consenting to being held upside down though.
John and I have acknowledged that “Cat Ownership” means that we are Pounce’s people, and we do notown Pounce. It is true that cats have staff, and only dogs are owned.
Pounce sleeps on my bed if he is ready to go to sleep when I am. Otherwise he sleeps on his tower – at least until I get up in the middle of the night and go get the sleepy cat to bring to my bed. One of his most active periods is from about 10:30pm to 1:30am and fortunately he is good at playing by himself with his toys either in the living room or upstairs in the computer room ( third bedroom). John gets up at 5:00am to go to work and Pounce will leave my bed to greet John for a belly rub and then come back to bed with me after John leaves. When Pounce decides it is time for us to get up he will literally pounce on the bed right beside my head. If that does not work, he pounces on me or on and off the bed. Most mornings he will mercifully let me sleep until 7:00am.
Pounce’s favorite toy is a green snake with a bulbous head, stretchy red “antlers” and a crimped tail. If you pull the tail out straight it vibrates as it contracts. Pounce’s favorite game is to have us nudge snake off the top step so it bounces all the way down the stairs. He runs to try to get it before it gets to the bottom. When he catches up with it he pushes it through the stairs to the underside of the staircase, usually at the bottom though sometimes a few steps higher. Then he dives under the stairs to get it and carries snake back up to us in his mouth.
Other times Pounce bats Snake around and them picks him up in his mouth. Then he throws his head back and tosses Snake high in the air. Pounce plays with a few other toys, the crunchy shiny foil-like balls are another favorite. He’ll play with the jingle ball and curly springs.
Pounce has been generally well behaved, clawing only his scratching devices. A squirt of water has discouraged him from pawing the window screen or pulling the computer mouse off the keyboard try by pulling the cord from the back. No question – he is a smart little devil.
I’m feeding him Premium Edge – Kitten. He eats well. Occasionally he gets flatulence – phew! It doesn’t seem to bother him at all – only us. He drinks water and his eliminations seem normal.
We have not taken him to the vet as he seems to be doing fine. Pounce does sometimes have a little coordination problem, usually when he is bursting with energy and racing around. Then he may jump up on a chair and not get his hind legs up and under him. Or he takes a corner too fast and runs into something. In these instances he just shakes it off and keeps going. The one thing that did cause us some concern: a few evenings ago he fell off the top of his tower. We did not see it happen but were in the room, heard the thud and he was lying on his side. We think he was stretching, maybe sleepy, and rolled off sideways over the lip of the platform. He showed no sign of discomfort as we ran hands over his ribs and hips afterward. He seemed a little dazed and that night he went straight to bed with me and did not do his nightly running around. He has seems to be very normal since. Had shown any signs of hurting or if I had felt anything wrong I would have gotten him to the vet immediately.
We have put a cushion on the floor beneath is tower in case he falls again. He has no trouble getting down from the tower when that is what he intends to do and the route he takes down is predictable. The mid-height platform would catch him if he rolls off the other side. (See the photo of him complaining about the noisy birds.)
I almost forgot – Pounce really enjoys the laser pointer. He keeps trying to find out where it is hiding when we turn it off. We are very careful to keep it away from his eyes.”
– Stephanie and John
Six adoptions! Yes, really!
December 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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!
