Happy Tail: Hermione

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Manager


When Hermione came into HSSV, her first stop was straight to our vet hospital. The stray calico kitty looked very skinny and had difficulty breathing at times. Her patchwork fur was a tapestry marred by fleas and her mouth revealed teeth in need of a serious cleaning. Having come to us in such poor condition, our first priority was to get the tiny fluff ball to gain weight and recover from the kitty cold she’d picked up while outside.

After a couple weeks and half a pound heavier, it was time to clean up that dirty mouth. Once inside we also removed two small lumps from her tongue to be sent off to a laboratory for testing. The results came back as eosinophilic granuloma, which is a cluster of white blood cells that appear because of an allergic reaction or to fight off a parasite. This was a big relief, as Hermione had no other symptoms and had made a full recovery. We knew what the lumps were and could tell her new family what to expect if they ever came back. Now we just needed to find her a home.

A six year old cat with a mysterious history may seem like a challenge for other organizations, but at HSSV we were able to find Hermione’s perfect match in just 10 days. Her adopters, Heather and Tony, tell us they “fell in love with her the first moment we saw her.” What we didn’t know was that when Hermione felt better she would use that extra energy to snuggle with her human companions. Heather tells us that she is grateful every day that they found each other. Thanks to our medical and adoption teams at HSSV, Hermione can start the New Year off healthy and happy in her new home.

Are you looking to give an animal an new start for the new year? Come by any of our three locations and adopt today!

Pet of the Week

Meet Honey

Honey, a 9-year-old Maltese mix, is a love-bug who adores being with people. She enjoys wearing festive outfits and dances when especially happy. If you are looking for a constant companion to share your daily life with, Honey is the one for you! She is the perfect cuddly lap dog.

At HSSV, Your Price is Right! Name your own adoption price on any dog, including Honey, now through the end of the year.

Learn How to Adopt Honey!

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 Honey's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

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

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

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

Happy Tail: Ruby

Happy Tails: Ruby
By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Manager


Much like it takes a village to raise a child, it took a small army to keep up Ruby’s cuddle quota for the day. Naturally inclined towards people, you could hear the 3-year- old female pit bull howling for attention from every corner of our Animal Community Center. It’s no surprise she soon started to spend her days not in her adoption suite, but rather in the offices closest to her crys.
Ruby had been surrendered to HSSV because her previous family no longer felt as though they could handle the large dog. We quickly learned all about Ruby’s attention seeking quirks. No door was a match for this clever pitty before we learned how to stay just ahead of her learning curve. Providing her plenty of kongs, activity driven toys, and lots of long walks helped to calm her need to break loose in search of some affection.

A month after arrival an adopter came in looking for dog to be his constant companion. Jay, a retiree, had a lot of time to dedicate to a new dog. Our staff immediately thought of our resident love-bug and introduced Ruby to Jay. After taking a day to consider his options at the other rescues, Jay returned to finalize Ruby’s adoption! He tells us that true to pit bull form, she is a “cuddle bug and a wonderful companion”. Ruby was able to trade in her crew of HSSV employees for one special adopter.

Are you looking for a special dog to fill your life? Santa Clara County Shelters are full and our dogs need your help more than ever. Come on in to our Animal Community Center or participating shelter and find your new best friend today.

HSSV Provides Extraordinary Care for Eight Newborn Pups

By Marie Matheson, HSSV Volunteer

Most animal rescue organizations don't have the resources to provide around-the-clock care to unweaned puppies, but at HSSV, the staff and volunteers recently rallied (and are still rallying!) in time of need to save the lives of a litter of puppies abandoned on the doorstep of a local city shelter.

When Jeri Seiden, HSSV’s Manager of Special Needs, heard about the eight puppies, she offered to bring them to HSSV to save their lives. Staff and two seasoned volunteers quickly stepped forward to be "moms" to the puppies until they are old enough to be vaccinated and spayed/neutered by the vet team.

Stephanie Ladeira, HSSV’s VP of Development, is one of these “moms.” When I spoke with Stephanie I was surprised to learn of the extraordinary lengths HSSV is going through to care for these precious puppies. Thorough cleaning of their new temporary homes with special disinfectant to prevent germs and possible illness, around-the-clock bottle feedings, human stimulation in place of the mother to teach the animal when to potty, and careful monitoring of the temperatures to which they are exposed, are a few examples. “These puppies are very sensitive and without their mother they can die if they are too hot, die if they are too cold,” says Stephanie, so these steps are critical to their survival.

Pictured in the photos is Stephanie’s pup Munchie, so named because he has such a healthy appetite. He is now “4-weeks old, has doubled in size and is quite playful,” says Stephanie, “and all the pups are doing well.” At 8-weeks they will each be spayed/ neutered by the vets at HSSV and will be available for adoption at the Animal Community Center .

I’m grateful HSSV’s dedicated staff and volunteers are there for these puppies when no one else is; they are giving them the life they deserve.

Stay tuned for future updates on Munchie and his siblings!

Pet of the Week

Meet Lucky

Lucky, a 4-month-old kitten, is ready to play, play, play! This frisky boy loves to chase toys, pounce on shoelaces, and cause general chaos with his fun antics. If you are looking for an outgoing cat with tons of personality, come meet Lucky at Humane Society Silicon Valley! The vets at HSSV neutered, vaccinated and microchipped him and now all he needs is a best friend to play with!

Learn How to Adopt Lucky!

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 Lucky's video, then share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

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

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

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

Happy Tail: Dottie

By Jamie Emming, Satellite Adoption Manager

Ever so often while picking up animals for our Satellite Adoption Centers, I come across something so cute I can’t help myself and make one of those high pitched squeals of delight. The kind of noise only heard from excited little girls, not seasoned managers. At just under 2 lbs and only 2 months old, Dottie, a double dwarf rabbit we had rescued from another shelter was squeal worthy. In short, she was adorable. Even though I had only stopped in to pick up cats that day, I decided that Dottie was coming back to our Saratoga Adoption Center with me.

In just shy of a week, Dottie met Vy, who had been considering rabbits after having a hamster. As hamsters and rabbits do not have a lot in common, our adoption counselors showed the first-time rabbit parent everything from basic rabbit care and handling to the importance of keeping Dottie in the home where she could be part of the family.

It turned out Dottie’s looks and sweet disposition made her the perfect model bunny for her new Mom, who sent us photos from Dottie’s “Welcome Home” photo shoot. The new family tells us that Dottie continues to be playful and from the looks of these photos, quite the inspiration.


Looking for more animals inspired art? Celebrate the magic of the human-animal bond at our Second Annual “Animal Arts” Craft Faire this Saturday and Sunday.

All photos courtesy of and credit to Vy Hoang

10 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe this Winter

Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The folks at Humane Society Silicon Valley have 10 cold weather pet tips to share with you so that we can keep our furry family members warm and safe this winter!

1. Bring your animals indoors. Pets not only belong indoors as members of the family, but also are safer, warmer and happier inside. Outdoors, felines in particular, can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats that are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

3. If you take your pooch to the snow country, never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm. Dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags and is microchipped. HSSV offers affordable microchips for $40.

4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a shorthaired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.

6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.

8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.

9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.

10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

Do you have a cold weather pet tip to share? Leave a comment!