Have a very grumpy day with Grumpy Cat!

It's a star-struck Feline Friday as we welcome one of our favorite cat stars back to the Bay Area!

Berkeley Humane is no stranger to the strange charms of Grumpy Cat, as she was our guest of honor at our Mobile Adoption Center's ribbon cutting ceremony.

Grumpy Cat overseeing the MAC ribbon cutting ceremony.

For a whole day Berkeley became Grumpytown, USA. Hundreds of Grumpytowners joined us and had their pictures taken with Grumpy Cat. Check out event photos on our Facebook page.

Everyone had a horrible time.

If you missed that opportunity, get excited (or get grumpy) -- Grumpy's back! Grumpy Cat will be at Madame Tussauds San Francisco Tuesday, December 8 from noon to 1 to celebrate the unveiling of her very own likeness.

Not only is Grumpy Cat Madame Tussauds' first ever cat figure, but also their first animatronic figure in 100 years! (You can even pet it.)

"This is truly an honor," a distinctly unimpressed Grumpy Cat told Madame Tussauds. "I hate it."

All  those who adopted from Berkeley Humane during November got a chance to win front-of-the-line tickets to meet this frowniest of felines, and adopters in December get a pair of Madame Tussauds attraction tickets.

If you want your own chance, check out the Facebook event. You might note that tickets to the photo line have been snapped up, but don't get grumpy about it! Everyone is welcome to join the line. (If you were at Berkeley Humane's Grumpy Cat event, you'll remember that everyone in line, ticket or no ticket, left with a photo. She might try to hide it, but that cat loves her fans.)

Berkeley Humane will be there with the MAC that Grumpy helped to open. See you there!

(And don't forget to visit us Friday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm!)

Check out the MAC at Solano Stroll this Sunday

Planning to amble over to Solano Stroll this weekend? 

Keep an eye open for our Mobile Adoption Center as you stroll!

Berkeley Humane volunteers will be on site with the MAC and some wonderful, adoptable animals for you to meet. 

(Maybe you'll  meet Monty or Ming, two of our dedicated MAC volunteers, who were featured in one of our Volunteer Appreciation posts!)

We hope to see you at Solano Stroll, this Sunday September 13, from 10AM-6PM!

Record adoptions at Bark & Meow Around the Block 2015

The Third Annual Bark (& Meow) Around the Block on August 15th was a phenomenal, record-breaking success.

Twenty Bay Area rescue groups joined together at Berkeley Humane to "Clear the Shelters" with support from NBC Bay Area. This is the first year that Bark (& Meow) has partnered with NBC's Clear the Shelters event, which helped over 17,000 animals get adopted nationwide.

We were so happy to see so many community members join us for food, drink, dancing, raffle drawings, games, and (of course) meeting adoptable dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds.

Bark & Meow Around the Block captured hearts online as well as in person: Cute Overload chose us at their ResQte of the Week! Check out their photos and videos of the event!

Berkeley Humane alone facilitated 48 adoptions, breaking our own record of the highest number of adoptions to take place within six hours.

Picture by Berkeley Humane Adoption Specialist Krista May Carpenetti

Across all rescue groups, 135 animals went home with delighted adopters. That total smashes last year's record!

 

Enthusiastic thanks go out to the event's committee members, whose tireless efforts since spring brought about this successful event:

• Event Chair: Catherine Culhane
• Logistic Chair: Rosemary Dutra
• Adoptions Chair: Erin Chandler
• Marketing Chair: Melissa Mangini
• Hoopla Chair: John Culhane
• Raffle Chair: Emily Murphy
• Sponsorship Chairs: Amy Ertekin & Tatiana Ware
• Volunteer Chair: Jin Yoo

 

Sponsors also helped make the event sing, from advertising to prize donations.

• NBC Bay Area
• Whole Foods Market
• Pet Food Express
• Berkeley Police Association
• Berkeley Dog & Cat Services
• SnapLogic
• Alpha Dog Marketing
• The Rare Barrel
• Lions Club
• Kruse Plumbing
• Kaiser Permanente Thrive
• Rosemary Dutra, Intero Real Estate
• Monty Lee, EA
• Celery Design Collaborative
• DogTrekker.com
• Berkeley Chamber of Commerce

We'd particularly like to thank the Berkeley Lions Club who, in addition to being a sponsor, arrived early in the morning to offer hours of back-breaking labor to set up the event.

 

Thanks again to the volunteers and community members who joined us on Saturday. Berkeley Humane works every day to support and provide animal welfare resources to the community, and Saturday was a great reminder of how the community supports us, too.

See you next year at Bark (& Meow) Around the Block!

Bark & Meow Around the Block is tomorrow!

SAT. AUGUST 15, 10AM - 4PM
NINTH & CARLETON STREETS, BERKELEY
Open to the public. Free to attend.

• Adoptable Animals
  Dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, bunnies, and birds!
• Great Food & Beer
  Grilled Cheez Guy, Fist of Flour pizza, Whole Foods serving sandwich wraps, Skylite Snowballs, The Mead Kitchen, Green Flash, and Lagunitas.
• Games & Activities 
  Bouncy house, face painting, toy making, caricature portraits, hacky-sack toss, fortune telling, dress-up photobooth, and more!
• Live music
  The 415s will be jamming!
• Fantastic Raffle Prizes
  Plenty of chances to win all kinds of raffle prizes! There's something for everyone.
• Fun Products
  From eco-friendly stuffable pet beds, to vitamin gravy, to cupcakes and treats for pups, it's time to pamper your pooch with these goodies!
• Dog-Friendly
  Well-behaved and harnessed dogs welcome! In fact, we'll have plenty of yummy dog biscuits, water bowls, and even activities—including hotdog bobbing and a rally course—to entertain your pooch.

Fetch a new Berkeley brew!

Join Berkeley Humane and Fieldwork Brewing Company for the release of a very special beer.

Our Mobile Adoption Center will be at Fieldwork Saturday, August 8 from 2-5PM to celebrate the release of Fetch Pale Ale. We're bringing some cheerful, adoptable canines to the event. Who knows? You might even spot some dogs playing fetch while people sip Fetch!

Beer sales benefit Berkeley Humane: Fieldwork is donating $1 from every glass and $2 out of every growler full of Fetch.

We hope to see you Saturday, August 8 at Fieldwork, 1160 Sixth Street!

So many adoptable animals at Bark & Meow Around the Block, Aug. 15!

Bark & Meow Around the Block is Saturday, August 15! Mark your calendars!

Thinking of adopting an animal this summer? Then definitely join us for Bark (& Meow) Around the Block where you'll get to meet a lot of wonderful animals from Berkeley Humane and many of our great partners including Adopt a Doggie, Animal Rescue Recon, Inc., Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care, Berkeley Animal Care Services, Bitten By A Kitten Rescue, EBARR - East Bay Animal Rescue & Refuge, Goldie and Papis' Animal Rescue, Hayward Animal Services, Hopalong and Second Chance Animal Rescue, The Milo Foundation, Rocket Dog Rescue, Umbrella of Hope, Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue.

  This free-to-attend event is several amazing things all in one:

• An adopt-a-thon that'll help many animals find loving homes,
• A family-friendly street fair that'll bring together the community,
• And a fundraiser that'll help save the lives of East Bay dogs and cats!

Special thanks to our sponsors for making this event possible: Pet Food Express, Whole Foods Market Gilman, Berkeley Police Association, NBC Bay Area, Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital / Special Veterinary Services, SnapLogic, Alpha Dog Marketing, The Rare Barrel, Berkeley Lions Club, L.J. Kruse Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Celery Design Collaborative, DogTrekker, and Berkeley Chamber.

 Photographs by Diane Walsh, Jodie Howard, and Sara Anooshfar.

Get Involved at Bark (& Meow) Around the Block!

Bark (& Meow) Around the Block is Berkeley Humane's annual street fair and adopt-a-thon – and it's just around the (calendar) block!

This fun summer event gets people and their pets outdoors with live entertainment, food and drink, kids' games, raffle prizes – and of course the chance to meet your potential new family member. This year we're partnering with over a dozen rescue organizations to hopefully top last year's 45 (!) Bark Around the Block adoptions!

To make this year a barking (& meowing) success, we need 100 volunteers to help with setup, raffle activity sales, activity booths, and more:

When: Saturday, August 15 

Requirements: Able to stand for 3+ hours with short breaks, friendly and outgoing demeanor

Check out last year's photo album to see what's in store! Contact Volunteer Manager Jenn Suzuki with your availability for August 15th (e.g. "Available 12-4 pm") at jsuzuki@berkeleyhumane.org to get involved.

Adopting that many cats and dogs in one day doesn't happen on its own, so many thanks goes to Berkeley Humane's volunteer crew in advance. Almost as popular as the loving animals the Berkeley Humane Society places is our highly coveted series of volunteer orientations! Volunteer orientations introduce you not only to Berkeley Humane's practices, but also our history and philosophies. With so many kindhearted members in Berkeley Humane's community, our volunteer orientations are often booked months in advance, but Bark (& Meow) Around the Block is a rare opportunity to lend your time in-person without necessarily waiting for an orientation opening.

At the very least, we hope to see you there on August 15th – mark your calendars and invite your friends!

See movies and help animals: the Summer Movie Series at Pyramid Alehouse starts this Sunday

Image courtesy of Pyramid Alehouse

Showtime! 

It's time to raise the curtain on Pyramid Alehouse’s summer-long movie night series benefiting Berkeley Humane.

This Sunday, Pyramid Alehouse at 901 Gilman Street kicks off its Summer Movie Series with Jumanji. The series continues August 9 with Ghostbusters and finishes up on September 13 with Jurassic Park. 

The shows start at 6, with doors opening around 5:15 PM. Tickets are $5 (which helps out Berkeley Humane).

Bring the little ones — these are kid-friendly events. Children 6 and under even get in free!

(No room for non-service animals, though, so leave the furry little ones at home.)

Pyramid will have food, beverages, and popcorn for sale.

BYOF (Bring Your Own Furniture)!  


Editor's note: As of July 21, Pyramid Alehouse in Berkeley has closed. There will be no August or September movie nights. We're grateful to Pyramid for its fundraising and collaborative events over the years.

Win big at Bark (& Meow) Around the Block!

Bark (& Meow) Around the Block, Berkeley Humane’s annual street fair and adopt-a-thon, may be a month away but we’re already preparing extraordinary raffle prizes for some lucky winners.

For only $5 a ticket (or $20 for five tickets), participants have a chance to win up to $1,300 in prizes! 

Pet prizes include a puppy starter kit, two nights at Wags Hotel’s Ultra Suite, and a shopping spree for earth-friendly toys and treats.

People prizes include a Literary Mystery package from Dark Carnival Books, beauty services from Keter Salon or White Rose Skin Care, cruises on the Bay, a Berkeley wine, bed, and breakfast package, and even a luxury night in Napa valley with free wine.

That’s just the start! Many more prizes await and we’re bound to add more as the event draws closer.

One of the greatest prizes might be the new pet you adopt. Berkeley Humane partners with 20 animal rescue organizations to bring a huge variety of adoptable animals to Bark (& Meow) Around the Block.

Join us on Saturday, August 15 for live music, family-friendly games & activities, food, drink, pets, and prizes!

This year's Missouri Lounge Dog Pageant was a huge success!

The second annual Rescued Dog Pageant at the Missouri Lounge was a roaring (and barking) success!

Dozens of dogs (and even more people) stopped by the Missouri Lounge on Sunday afternoon to strut their stuff in the pageant or just cheer on their friends.

Attendees of the human variety enjoyed hot dogs, cold beverages, face-painting, and some very special adoptable dogs* who arrived in Berkeley Humane’s MAC (the Mobile Adoption Center), accompanied by skilled Berkeley Humane volunteers. 

Here's a look at the MAC in action, bringing together adoptable animals and potential adopters:

The MAC helps adoptable pets meet more members of the public outside of Berkeley Humane.

Each contestant took the stage for a song. Talents included high leaps, skateboarding, amazing patience and control when confronted with treats or facial sundaes (you had to be there), great costumes, intense personal charm, and cuteness.

Starstruck audience members voted for their favorites with one-dollar tickets (with all proceeds benefitting Berkeley Humane). 

 The voting jars early in the afternoon-- later, they'd be stuffed with votes!

While every dog’s jar drew tickets, the top three vote-getters were Bud, Djuna, and Pica. Congratulations!

Jade the dog aims high! 

Pica shows off his skateboarding skills. 

Because every dog is the best dog (just ask their owners) and because every entrant was wildly talented, each dog went home with a title:

• Schwartz won Most Acrobatic
• Skoda won Most Patriotic
• Lox won Best Denim
• Egg Dog won Most Well Fed
• Kuma won Best Butterfly
• Lucky won Best Hair
• Oreo, ringleader of a three-dog entry, helped his pack win Best Leather
• Pig won Best Springsteen
• Pickle won Best Bipedal
• Pica won Best Boarder
• Lenny won Biggest Oakland A's Fan
• Kobe won Most Patient
• Jade won Best Lioness
• Harvey won Best Kisser
• Djuna won Best Feat of Strength
• Bud won Best Batdog
• Bear won Best Paul Bunyan
• Trapper won Best Jurassic Canine

 

 Lucky models his title-winning luxurious coat. 

If we missed any, please drop us a line on Facebook and let us know!

Thanks to all participants, human and canine alike! A big thanks also goes out to all audience members, staff, volunteers, and pageant host Missouri Lounge.

All photos by the author (who apologies for their quality).  

*Your humble narrator would like to share that one of the dogs available for adoption at today’s event is now at home and asleep in her lap as she writes this. Welcome home, Cheddar!

The Second Annual Missouri Lounge Rescued Dog Pageant

Welcome to Woof Wednesday, where a bevvy of canine beauties are getting ready to vie for your vote at the Missouri Lounge this Sunday, June 14 at 1pm!

This weekend is the Second Annual Missouri Lounge Dog Pageant, an event full of friends and fun not to be missed.

Adopted dogs and the adopters who love them will strut their stuff during a song of their choice. Fashion and talents are not only welcome but encouraged! 

The starstruck audience (whose enthusiasm will no doubt increase with Missouri Lounge's refreshing draft beers) will vote with their dollars for the top dog. 

Proceeds from the votes, as well as a portion of the bar sales, benefit Berkeley Humane and our animals.

If your dog is pining for the spotlight, bring their talents to the pageant to practice before Hollywood comes calling. Sign up online here. (Advance sign-ups help us prepare your music and ready the voting system.)

The Missouri Lounge Dog Pageant is a convivial annual event that offers beer and animal fans a great way to admire pooches and help Berkeley Humane. Have a talented dog? Sign up! Enjoy beer and talent shows? Come on down! Mourning the end of Pints for Paws? Ease back into things with a pint and some paws!

Enjoy some pictures below from last year's pageant by photographer Edie Hoffman -- and start preparing to be a part of this year's photo album!

Pints for Paws: A Volunteer's Perspective

Pints for Paws on Saturday, June 6 was an unqualified success with hundreds of attendees, 80+ craft beers, and hordes of happy dogs.

All proceeds -- every last dime! -- benefit Berkeley Humane, so we thank attendees as well as all those who donated time or goods, from volunteer "beertenders" to the musicians to the ticket-takers and beyond. Everyone present helped us pursue our mission of saving friends in our community (and had a great time while doing it).

 

A partial aerial view of the Pints for Paws 2015 crowd.

Berkeley Humane volunteer Michael Roberts enjoyed his second year pouring pints for attendees, and agreed to share a bit about his experiences.

 

I had a wonderful day volunteering as a beertender for Pints for Paws.

They assigned me to Alpine Brewery, and we were pouring the Alpine Ale and Captain Stout. One of the best things about working the Alpine stand was working with Ashley Routson and her boyfriend Jon Otto. Ashley was one of the co-founders of Pints for Paws and made the experience a good time.

We were between Pyramid Brewery and Green Flash, and like the rest of the breweries, volunteers, and Berkeley Humane workers, they were in an ebullient mood. I was also pleased to be next to Green Flash because they were pouring the Palate Wrecker DIPA, a big favorite of mine.

There were quite a few characters among the attendees, and dogs of every description. The attendees and dogs were also in a cheerful mood, which was only to be expected when you mix beer, enthusiastic people, and a throng of happy dogs.

It felt wonderful to be able to help raise money for such a rewarding cause, and having a good time doing it just made it all that much better.

 Live music at Pints for Paws

Thank you for sharing the volunteer’s (and beer enthusiast’s) point of view, Michael!

If you’d like to read more about Pints for Paws co-founder Ashley Routson, she has a great post about the transparency and charitable benefits that made Pints for Paws an event she wanted to help build.  She’s also online as the Beer Wench. 

Ashley Routson takes the mic at Pints for Paws 2015, backed up by volunteers.

If you’d like to join Michael and volunteers like him in building exciting community events that help Berkeley Humane save more animals, check out our varied volunteer opportunities. http://www.berkeleyhumane.org/volunteer We would love to welcome you to an upcoming volunteer orientation!

Celebrating Maddie's Pet Adoption Days and looking ahead to Pints for Paws

Berkeley Humane had a fantastic adoption weekend thanks to the generous support of Maddie's Pet Adoption Days.   

We helped FIFTY-FIVE cats and dogs go home with caring, committed adopters this weekend. Knowing that there are fifty-five animals wagging their tails or purring in their new homes this week is a great feeling!

Berkeley Humane staff kept a whiteboard of adopted animals over the weekend so everyone could celebrate as each animal went home. Take a look at this list of joy:

 

(Photo by Berkeley Humane staff)

We love hearing from adopters, and this week we heard from someone who wanted to help us celebrate Maddie's Pet Adoption Days. Rachel Weaver shared a picture of her handsome cat Mr. Brooms, whom she adopted at Maddie's Pet Adoption Days in 2013.

We've featured Mr. Brooms on our blog before and it's great to get an update! Happy adopt-iversary, Rachel and Mr. Brooms!

Pints for Paws is almost here! For the price of admission, attendees receive a pint glass that can be used to sample 80+ beers from 20+ breweries. Local food trucks, live music, friendly dogs, a raffle, and Whole Food's Coconut Lounge will keep you entertained between samples. 

Buy tickets online today or at the door tomorrow.

Maddie's Pet Adoption Days: May 30 and 31!

Welcome to Feline Friday: the best way to ease into Caturday.

We interrupt our usual Friday cat focus to share wonderful news that benefits all adoptable felines and canines at Berkeley Humane.

Next weekend, May 30 and 31, are Maddie's Pet Adoption Days, during which we'll waive 100% of the adoption fees! Stop by Berkeley Humane Saturday and Sunday between 10-4 to meet our wonderful adoptable cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies. 

Visit our website to learn more about both this exciting event and Maddie's Fund, which makes Maddie's Pet Adoption Days possible.

While you're on our website, check out some of the cats and dogs who might be looking for love during Maddie's Pet Adoption Days. 

  
Here's resident superkitty Catgirl, for example, posing for photographer Michael Goldberg.

We hope to see you May 30 and 31 at Berkeley Humane! 

Help animals! Drink beer!

Throughout May, enjoying a pint of refreshing Pyramid Alehouse beer means helping adoptable animals!

This week's featured pint is the Dopplebock. The memories don't end at the bottom of the glass: for $1 extra you can take home the special Berkeley Humane pint glass.

Fifty percent of every pint helps Berkeley Humane. So drink up and do some good!

Help Berkeley Humane by drinking delicious beer at Pyramid Ales this month!

The month of May is a great time to enjoy beer and help Berkeley Humane!

Every week in May, Pyramid Alehouse, 901 Gilman St., is helping adoptable animals by serving up craft beer at great prices.

 (Photo courtesy of Pyramid Alehouse's Facebook page)

Each week features a different beer served in a special Berkeley Humane pint glass. 50% of the beer proceeds benefit Berkeley Humane, and you can keep the pint glass for only $1 more.

The pint glass is also for sale in Pyramid's on-site shop, where 100% of the proceeds benefit Berkeley Humane.

This week's featured beer is Pyramid's Thunderhead IPA. They describe it as a "harmonious balance between its bold hop bitterness and subtle malt backbone."

Thanks to Pyramid Alehouse for helping the community's adoptable dogs and cats while simultaneously slaking the community's thirst!

Adoption event at Whole Foods

Happy Feline Friday everybody!

We have an exciting announcement to make! Our Mobile Adoption Center will visit our Berkeley Whole Foods stores this weekend for adoption events!

Tomorrow, Saturday, December 6 from 3PM to 6PM, we will be at the brand new Whole Foods in the Gilman district. On Sunday, December 7 from 11AM to 2PM, we will be at the Whole Foods on Telegraph.

We're very excited for the opportunity to match more of our animals with adopters in the East Bay community! Not only that, but both Whole Foods locations will have a Santa on site for pet photos! Raffle drawings will also take place at both locations during the event.


Come see us and we'll be ready for you with lovable animals, photo opportunities with Santa, raffle prizes, and plenty of holiday cheer!

Can't make it? Still want a new friend to share the holidays with? Come to our adoption center during our adoption hours and meet some of our adoptable animals!

How about playful Phoenix? She'd love to be a part of your family and will provide hours of fun and entertainment with her kitten-like antics.

Or how about sweet Emma, who wants nothing more than a human friend?

The holiday season is a time where many people choose to add a pet to their family. If that's what you're thinking of as well, why not adopt? Our animals would give their all for a warm lap or a rug in someone's home before Christmas! Our adoption hours for cats are Friday through Sunday between 11 and 5. Our dogs are adoptable from Wednesday through Sunday from 11 to 5.