Beginning Rally with A DOG'S LIFE

By Sherry Hung, HSSV Volunteer

This past Sunday, I stood in the agility yard at HSSV and watched as three happy dogs trotted, turned, and heeled on command. It was the second session of the weekly Beginning Rally Obedience course offered at Humane Society Silicon Valley through A DOG'S LIFE, and I observed as the dogs and their owners learned to do 90, 180, 270, and 360 degree turns on command.

At the end of the class, these turns were strung together with commands from the previous lesson, and the dogs took turns running a mini-course with their owners.




This is the essence of rally obedience, an AKC event in which dogs complete a course consisting of numbered signs; at each sign the handler must guide the dog with verbal commands and hand signals to complete an action before moving on.

The bond between each owner and dog was apparent as they both learned to communicate and successfully complete each sign. Of course, lots and lots of treats and praise were used to motivate the pups, and these dogs looked so happy running the course with their owners!



I'm hoping to come back again to see how the class progresses, and to check out more of the great classes offered at Humane Society Silicon Valley.

Pet of the Week

Meet the Baby Bunch

It's puppy time! Marvin, Milton, Miles, Marmaduke, Milo, Molly, Mabel, Maximus and Maggie have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated at HSSV and now they are ready for homes of their very own. All of these babies are gentle, sweet, affectionate, intellegent and eager to please but each has his or her own unique personality.

This special bunch of puppies came in to HSSV through our P.U.P. (Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies) program that takes in unwanted puppies and kittens and spays the mother for free to prevent further unwanted pregnancies.

Are you ready for some puppy love? Come meet the Baby Bunch!

Learn How to Adopt a Puppy!

How You Can Help

Every week, we ask the community to help us find one special pet a loving home. There are three easy ways to help, and you can do them all from the comfort of your home!

1. Click here to see the Baby Bunch's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2. Print out the Baby Bunch's profile and post it at your local hangouts.

3. Donate online to help animals like these get the care they deserve.

How did you help the Pet of the Week? Post a comment and let us know!

Beginning Rally Course This Sunday

By Sherry Hung, HSSV Volunteer


This Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at HSSV marks the start of a series of classes on Beginning Rally Obedience. I've been invited to blog about Sunday’s class and I’m so excited! Rally is an AKC event where owners work with their dogs to navigate a course of ten to twenty signs; at each sign, the handler asks his or her dog to perform an exercise before moving on to the next one. In rally events, owners are encouraged to communicate with their dogs throughout the event—handlers give verbal and hand cues to help their dogs complete the course.

This class is offered through A DOG'S LIFE, and I'm so glad that a portion of the registration fees will go to the Humane Society Silicon Valley to help care for orphaned pets who need homes of their own. I love the fact that HSSV not only helps find homes for orphaned animals, but also offers great activities like rally classes, that encourage owners to work with and further the bond with their pups.

There are still a few spots available for owners interested in exploring this unique opportunity to work with their dogs—check out this link for more information and to register. I can't wait to learn more on Sunday, and to blog about the rally class!

Happy Tail: Patches

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Center

Patches, is an adorable 12 year-old black and white ball of fluff who came to HSSV through our Regional Rescue Program. The program routinely rescues animals in danger of being euthanized due to lack of space, time or resources at other shelters. On her fifth day up for adoption, we decided that Patches would be a great dog to feature at our Dog Adoption Day at our Satellite Adoption Center in PETCO Saratoga.

The shaggy dog no sooner arrived when she met a family who had seen the street signs advertising adoptions. Our adoption counselor started introductions out with their 8-year-old daughter. After some play and cuddles, Patches was ready to meet her greatest hurdle to her new home, their three-year-old boy! The toddler let out a shrill of joy at being released from his stroller and getting to touch the “puppy”.

After an initial moment of hesitation, Patches started to lick the little boy’s feet. Next, the family took her for a walk around the shopping center so our adoption counselor could see how Patches behaved with family members walking her. The gentle poodle was easy enough for their elementary age daughter to walk on her own. Patches never made the return trip to our Animal Community Center, as the family finalized her adoption at our Satellite. Our staff member who adopted out Patches remarked, “I think coming out to PETCO was the best thing that could have happened to Patches.”

Are you a Saratoga, Campbell, or west-side San Jose resident who would like to meet dogs closer to home? Join us this Saturday for our next Dog Adoption Day at PETCO Saratoga.

Pet of the Week

Meet Casper

Hi, I am Casper the Friendly Guinea Pig!

I’d love to curl up in your lap while you watch scary movies and I am going to be a great help when it’s time to carve pumpkins by cleaning up the tasty bits you cut out!

Let’s greet trick-or-treaters together; a pair of wings would make a super cute piggy costume.

Come meet me at HSSV's satellite adoption center inside Petco Saratoga! Learn How to Adopt Casper!

How You Can Help

Every week, we ask the community to help us find one special pet a loving home. There are three easy ways to help, and you can do them all from the comfort of your home!

1. Click here to see Casper's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2. Print out Casper's profile and post it at your local hangouts.

3. Donate online to help animals like Casper get the care they deserve.

How did you help the Pet of the Week? Post a comment and let us know!

“Not So Undercover Boss” Part I: The Virtue of Cleanliness

“Not So Undercover Boss” Part I: The Virtue of Cleanliness

By Carol Novello

HSSV President

During my first 100 days as president of Humane Society Silicon Valley, I want to experience all aspects of our business first-hand. I recently learned how to clean our dog apartments. It’s hard, hard work. And it’s really, really important work, too.

Cleanliness in our kennels helps keep our four-legged guests healthy. It also means less risk of illness and infection.

Taking cleanliness for granted is easy to do. Especially when it’s “not your job.” That’s why I wanted to experience it first-hand. Personally, I learn by doing. I also appreciate by doing.

To all of our hard-working Animal Care Techs (ACTs), I say THANK YOU. You make it look easy. I know it’s not. My ‘Going to the Dogs’ video is the proof.

MP4 format | WMV format

Animal 911: Aggie’s Story

By Amber N. Yoo, HSSV Volunteer

One of the things I like most about Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is the extraordinary lengths the staff goes through for every single animal in their care. Just last week, I learned about a kitty named Aggie who is a shining example of the great work HSSV is doing.

Aggie, a 7-year-old kitty, was surrendered to HSSV when her family was no longer able to give her the attention she deserved. Aggie was a healthy cat who absolutely adored being petted. She’d stand up on her hind legs when offered a treat, and enjoyed napping in laps. Like all of the kitties at HSSV, Aggie lived in a luxurious cat condo, complete with a private bed and lots of attention from volunteers.

Despite staff’s best efforts to make Aggie feel at home, Aggie became depressed without a family of her own. The days went by and Aggie’s depression began to take its toll. She stopped eating. No amount of cajoling or coaxing convinced Aggie to eat. The veterinary team was called in for close monitoring. She was hand-fed and showered with love and attention. Most shelters might not have gone to such lengths, but, thanks to the perseverance of HSSV staff, Aggie recovered. And then they found her the perfect home.

Aggie, who now goes by Abbie, was adopted by a man named Scott. The two have settled into a routine that includes a lot of cuddling and playing with furry toy mice. “Every morning when I wake up, she’s right there,” Scott happily told me. While he’s at work she lays on the back of the sofa, looking out of their third floor apartment at the gardens below and “chirping at the birds.” When he returns, she tells him about her day. “I hear about it for about half an hour,” Scott laughingly noted. Abbie provides a positive energy to the house that Scott said was missing before. And now Abbie has her own special person to spend the rest of her days with.

Happy Tail: Zoe

By Jamie Emming Satellite Adoption Manager


When we met Zoe, an eight-year-old cattle dog mix, she was flanked by two little girls in our pet surrender lobby. Their arms looped around her faded gold coat, they kept saying “sit Zoe” to show us she’s one smart dog. Zoe sat quietly through the fierce hugs, and calmly walked away with our staff as she said good-bye to the family she’d known all her life. Zoe and her family had just lost their house, and their future apartment had a strict “no pets” policy. It was now up to HSSV to continue Zoe’s search for a home.

Zoe’s first stop was to see our medical team. Spending the last few weeks outside with relative’s dogs as the family weighed their options had left Zoe a little worn around the edges. Her elbows were calloused, her ears were waxy, and her teeth were in need of dental care. Our veterinarians spayed her, gave her a full dental cleaning on her teeth and cleaned out her mucky ears.

Soon after, Zoe was meeting potenital familes who were all vying for the opportunity to adopt her. Zoe’s lucky new owner is an active retiree who wanted a walking partner and had been keeping a close eye on our website. After being up for adoption for only three days, the happy herding dog went home to join her new owner’s cat, another HSSV alumni. As you can see from her photo, Zoe is once again smiling as she too has found a new home.




Are you looking for walking partner? Check out our adoptable dogs, nothing is more motivating than a pair of big dark eyes wondering when it’s time to play!

Pet of the Week

Meet Indy

Indy, a smart Jack Russell Terrier mix, will greet you with tail wags at Humane Society Silicon Valley!

We love Indy and know you will, too, because:

1. She offers lots of love in a small package!

2. She’s a great walking buddy, but is just as eager to join you on the couch for a cuddle session.

3. Indy already knows all the basics on how to be a good roommate.

Tell your friends, or head on over to meet her in person! Learn How to Adopt Indy!

How You Can Help

Every week, we ask the community to help us find one special pet a loving home. There are three easy ways to help, and you can do them all from the comfort of your home!

1. Click here to see Indy's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2. Print out Indy's profile and post it at your local hangouts.

3. Donate online to help animals like Indy get the care they deserve.

How did you help the Pet of the Week? Post a comment and let us know!

Happy Tail: Ashes and Soot

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Manager

We love bringing animals and people together at HSSV, and sometimes we get to play matchmaker for our animals too. No one would question if you told them Ashes and Soot are sisters, but without HSSV these two kittens would have never met.
Soot was just over a pound when she came in as a stray. She was placed in our foster care program until she doubled in size and could find a new home. Ashes was already old enough for adoption when she was surrendered with her Mom and litter-mate a month after we took in Soot.

Both Ashes and Soot watched their litter-mates get adopted before them. Ashes was already a quiet kitten, and we did not want her to become withdrawn without a friend. We took the girls to a neutral room to introduce them. Before you could say “toy mice” they were playing together. The play gave way to cuddles, and we could not tell where one black and white kitten stopped and the other began. With Soot by her side, Ashes was ready to take on the world.

A few days later we met a woman looking for a couple of felines. Susan and her husband had recently lost their bonded pair of cats after a long illness. The couple admitted they “want to rescue them all...but only have room for two.” The monochromatic duo charmed their way into Susan’s heart to be her two. Kittens’ falling in love with kittens, and then falling in love with people makes Ashes and Soot twice the matchmaking success!

Ready to open your heart? Check out our adoptable cats to take home “one or two” today!

Pet of the Week

Meet Mambo

Mambo is a handsome devil who loves to flirt!

He shows his affection for the feline ladies by grabbing their tails as they walk by. He also loves his human lady friends and lets them know they're special with a wink.

If you are ready for a rambunctious little man in your life, look no further than Mambo!

Learn How to Adopt Mambo!

How You Can Help

Every week, we ask the community to help us find one special pet a loving home. There are three easy ways to help, and you can do them all from the comfort of your home!

1. Click here to see Mambo's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2. Print out Mambo's profile and post it at your local hangouts.

3. Donate online to help animals like Mambo get the care they deserve.

How did you help the Pet of the Week? Post a comment and let us know!