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!

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!

Volunteer Appreciation: Monty and Ming, MAC drivers (and more)

Rumbling past you on the roads or parked and invitingly open at events — have you seen our amazing Mobile Adoption Center or MAC? 

After a Berkeley Humane executive and a volunteer drove it home to Berkeley from Ohio, we formally opened it with a ribbon-cutting ceremony overseen by none other than Grumpy Cat herself. (Check out our pictures from that star-struck day here.)

The MAC travels around the Bay Area carrying adoptable pets and Berkeley Humane volunteers to far-flung events. 

The MAC at its ribbon-cutting ceremony, January 24, 2015.
Photo by JennyDee Photography.

In addition to increasing pet adoptions, the MAC opens up new volunteer opportunities and boosts Berkeley Humane’s presence in the community.

Our volunteer MAC drivers see the Bay, connect with the public, and help adoptable pets find their new homes. It’s rewarding work -- take it from Monty Lee and Ming Wang, two Berkeley Humane volunteers who count MAC driving among their skills.

Both volunteers have been driving the MAC since it arrived in Berkeley in August 2014. MAC training broadened their volunteer horizons: in addition to helping out at the shelter they can drive the MAC to an event, connect with community members, counsel potential adopters, and facilitate adoptions on the spot.

What drew you to working with the MAC?

Ming: “The potential of bringing Berkeley Humane animals to wider range of adopters.”

Monty: “The chance to experience all facets of Berkeley Humane operations: animal handling, adoption counseling, meeting and discussing Berkeley Humane with interested parties, and adoption processing.”

Training to drive the MAC, Ming says, was a whirlwind of information. “But the animal behavior section of the training is really helpful because we can monitor how the animals are during the car ride and also during the event.” She practiced on the streets around Berkeley Humane to get comfortable with the vehicle. 

Monty, who already had some experience driving RVs and large vehicles, agrees with Ming’s assessment. Training, he says, “was a great experience learning about the history of Berkeley Humane, its operating philosophy, and an overview of how animals come to the facility, get adopted, and are followed up on after adoption.”

What’s the coolest part of MAC driving?

Ming: “Working with cute doggies and kitties!”

Monty: “The most satisfying thing is to see a happy adoption — especially with children involved. Also, working with Berkeley Humane staff. They have been very supportive and exhibit genuine care and empathy for the animals.”

Ming Wang and fellow volunteer Denis Yurchikov collecting donations
for Berkeley Humane at Pride.

Not only does the MAC house adoptable dogs and cats — it’s also an effective mobile billboard for Berkeley Humane. “A lot of people are curious about MAC, especially the inside, so they always want a tour,” says Ming. “Some kids gets excited when they see the MAC driving on the street because of the animal pictures on the side.”

 While people clearly love the MAC, how do the animals inside react? “In most cases the animals are calm, cool, and collected, probably because staff is careful about the animals selected to travel based on knowing the animals' behavior,” says Monty. “Cats are mostly OK with it,” says Ming. “Some dogs require more petting.” 

Because the MAC is 100% volunteer-operated, Berkeley Humane always has an eye out for new volunteers. Interested in chauffeuring dogs and cats to adoption events? Fill out a volunteer application or examine other volunteer options with us. 

What advice would you give to potential MAC volunteers?

Ming: “Be open to talk to all kinds of people and kids.”

Monty: “Enjoy engaging with the public and getting the message out about adoptions generally and Berkeley Humane in particular.”

Berkeley Humane is grateful to Monty and Ming for their time and dedication. Volunteers like these two don’t only help the shelter, they also help adoptable animals of the Bay Area and our general community. Thank you, Ming and Monty!

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!

Guest Post: 10 Things You May Not Know About Berkeley Humane

By: Kosin Huang

Berkeley Humane has been around a long time and has an interesting history. Here are some tidbits you may or may not know about us:

1. We've been around since 1927...that's 87 years! (And in dog years, we're 609 years old!)
2. When we first opened, we were located in a former pool hall.
3. We are not affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States, or any other animal welfare organization.
4. We saved 938 animals last year, and are on track to save 1,000 this year!
5. We are one of few animal rescue groups that have our own veterinary team serving homeless animals.
6. Our neo-natal kitten foster program is unique in the region. 
7. We used to be called "Animal Rescue Haven".
8. We offer monthly grief counseling for those who've lost their pets. 
9. We like to pun and have hosted such events as "Bay to Barkers", "Pints for Paws", and "Bark (& Meow) Around the Block.
10. We just debuted a Mobile Adoption Center (a custom-built vehicle that enables us to bring our dogs and cats into East Bay communities and make more loving matches)!

Kosin Huang is a board member and development committee chair for Berkeley Humane. She lives in the East Bay with her husband, daughter, and a rescue mutt named Spartacus.

Bringing The MAC Home: an interview with Lynda

As you may know, Berkeley Humane has recently expanded it's adoption capacity by means of a mobile adoption center (MAC, for short). The MAC is a truck which is outfitted to allow Berkeley Humane's animals and adoption counselors to go to adoption events throughout the Bay Area in both style and comfort. The MAC has been built by LaBoit Specialty Vehicles - a dedicated company in Ohio, which specializes in creating large vehicles for purposes such as ours. The adorable pictures all over the truck? Courtesy of talented photographer Mark Rogers.

A mock up of what the MAC would look like

We're so excited about the MAC and the possibilities it'll bring, and want to share with you how we came into the possession of this shelter on wheels that'll help Berkeley Humane go beyond our walls and connect our animals with more members of the community. With that in mind, we contacted Lynda, one of Berkeley Humane's dedicated volunteers, and one of the two people who embarked on the journey to get the MAC from Columbus, Ohio to Berkeley, California. 

Here is a bit about Lynda herself: 
"At the beginning of the year I moved to the Bay Area from NYC and was looking for a passion project to get involved with. My dear friend and Development Director for Berkeley Humane, Jeffrey Zerwekh invited me to join the recently established Marketing Leadership Committee and twisted my arm to volunteer pouring beer at the Pints for Paws Event."

Of course we wanted to know how she got involved with the MAC: 
[Berkeley Humane's] "Board approved funding for the Mobile Adoption Center right around the time I started volunteering on the Marketing Committee and I was asked if I’d be interested in becoming involved in writing the business plan. A few students from USF needed to do some field work and helped put it all together. They got the credits they needed to finish a class and Berkeley Humane got a comprehensive business plan to put the necessary framework around the MAC project. By that time I was so in love with the MAC and its purpose and potential to significantly increase the adoptions of the puppies and kitties, provide a new role for volunteers in the organization, and increase our visibility in the community, that before I knew it I had volunteered to Bring The MAC Home! Since the MAC will be largely (with the goal being 100%) run by volunteers, it seemed only right that a volunteer be the one to drive it off the lot from where it was assembled in Columbus, OH."

How did the trip go? Did you plan a lot beforehand, or did you have any serendipitous experiences? Did you make any stops along the way?
"The trip was amazing.  Completely.Exceeded.Expectations.  Having never driven across country before and certainly never having driven a 26’ vehicle I was a bit apprehensive about both.  From the time we were welcomed with hugs and smiles from the dedicated staff at the assembly plant to pick up the MAC to the time we rolled into the Bay Area, a better journey couldn’t have been planned.

Prior to the trip some planning was done – the big things like deciding whether to take the Northern Route or the Southern Route and booking the first two hotel nights. Everything else was left to plan spontaneously on the road as we really weren’t sure how far we would go each day and where we would end up.   I really got into the idea of driving along Route 66 so we took the Southern Route on HWY 40.  It was fun to photograph the MAC by various landmarks like the Arch in St. Louis, the World’s Largest Golf Tee somewhere in the middle of MO, the Cadillac Graveyard in TX and with the Grand Canyon.  If it were up to me I would have stopped more but we were on a schedule so I had to pick the priorities!

What the Southern Route looks like

One of the most rewarding things about driving the MAC across the country were the countless people we met and stories we heard.  When you’re driving a 26’ vehicle covered with adorable puppies and kitties everyone wants to talk with you and tell you about the pet they’ve rescued and their love of animals.  There is so much love out there for animals and so much enthusiasm for what the Berkeley Humane will be able to do with the vehicle in terms of increasing adoptions and saving lives of animals.

And here it is! The MAC in all it's glory

Can you say a bit more about the goals Berkeley Humane has for the MAC? Will you play a role in the future of the MAC as well?
"The primary goal of the MAC is to enable to Berkeley Humane to increase adoptions of the puppies and the kitties. The goal for this year is to adopt out 1000 animals. As long as there is a committed volunteer base (click here to learn about being a MAC volunteer) and the MAC can be scheduled to be in the community as often as possible we will be able to exceed this goal next year.

It’s also important that the team at Berkeley Humane plans for the future so that once enough money has been raised to build a new building to replace the one that was damaged in a fire there will be a way to adopt animals.  During construction, the MAC will be our “Adoption Center on Wheels.”   We know it is going to take some time to get as good at mobile adoptions like we are in our current facility.

As far as my role in the future of the MAC, it will always have a special place in my heart.  I am so proud of what’s been accomplished to date.  Now, it’s time to pass the baton to the tremendous volunteers who will be taking it out in the community and putting it to action finding those adorable puppies and kitties who are looking for love the best families to go home with."

The MAC: Human Tested...

... Doggie Approved!

Do you have a fun or interesting anecdote (or two) about the trip that you would like to share?
"Road trips are fun!  And while the purpose of this road trip was the business of bringing the MAC home, the fascinating people I met, stories I heard and the overwhelming enthusiasm for what Berkeley Humane is embarking on with the MAC left me inspired and with a great sense of gratitude."

Fulfilling it's purpose at Bark (&Meow) Around the Block