Walt Trashes A Perfectly Good Blog About The Tragedy Of Special Needs Pets.

This is Walt:

Hi.

As you can tell, he's sort of a sad fellow. Walt came to us with a badly damaged back leg. Only five months old, the big pup was in a lot of pain and it wasn't repairable. Luckily we have awesome vets here and we were able to amputate it and give him a pain free life. But now he's a three legged dog. 

Isn't that sad? 

Whaaat? Sad? Me? Seriously? 

How could he ever have a normal life? Yes, he'll be pain free but won't he always be a bit less than other dogs? He'll certainly never be happy. And he certainly won't be able to run and play like the other dogs....

Pretty tragic, right? 

Okay, c'mon. Tragic? Is this a joke? Are you talking about me? 

What could a three legged dog even do aside from sit around all day looking sad and hobbling around?

Oh forget this. There are better things to do. Wanna throw the ball?

Walt, come back here. We're not done talking about how sad you are...

Fine. I'll just play with sharky alone until you stop being ridiculous.

Walt? Walt? 

I'm going for a walk with a friend. You guys are lame.

The real story? 

Knowing Walt, he probably feels sorry for four legged dogs because he thinks that fourth leg slows them down. One of the greatest things about dogs is that they don't dwell on things. Walt will never feel like less of a dog - and he certainly won't be a sad or tragic figure - because of his missing leg. If you think you can keep up with him, Walt is available at our Milpitas Animal Community Center. If you consider special needs pets to be pitiable, we ask you to reconsider that thought. They certainly don't feel sorry for themselves. 

Perhaps later we can look at how sad and listless senior pets are how no one adopts them:

 Or how animals who came from really tough beginnings can't be rehabilitated and adopted.

Cute cat videos?! Yes, please.

Seven reasons you need a cat:

1. Adorable Meowing

"Mickey"

"Sooo, where's the wet food?"

2. Irresistible Head-Butting

"Joey"

"Rub, rub, rubby rub rub.  I do so love to rub."

3. Oh, the Attitude!

Sammi

"Kibble?  You have got to be joking."

4. You can exercise them from the comfort of your couch!

"Regina"

"Feather?!  Attack!!"

5. Two Words: Lap Muffins.

"Leya"

"I will knead this lap into bread if it takes me all day."

6. The Door Greetings

"Peppermint Patty"

"Hellooo?!  I know you can see me!"

7. Purring.

"Harriet"

"I am cat.  Hear me purr."

Want to see more action from our kitties? Come visit us today!  We are open seven days a week, check out our hours and locations for more info.

UPDATE: Leya, Joey, and Harriet have all found forever homes!  Hooray, HSSV cats!

Five Great Reasons To Adopt A Dog You Might Not Have Thought Of.

Poppies are perennially on my mind. Get it? HA!

1) Flower Arranging Has Gotten Really Boring. Even with a ton of baby's breath and some of those weird ferny things, there's only so much you can do. Oh look, another orchid in a stark pot. Oh look, roses and daisies. Boooring. How about 'oh look, there's a poppy balanced on the head of an adorable older dachshund!' 

Attention getting. Unique. Completely different. While we can't always promise that a dog will hold that pose, the millisecond they do makes it all worth it. Plus everyone needs an adorable older dachshund that likes to play in the flowers. 

We have lift off! 

2) You're Trying To Build A Hovercraft And Need Inspiration. It's all about velocity but where do you find that in nature? Trying to watch birds is tricky - they tend to fly away. We really, really, really advise against trying to watch cheetahs unless you have a fantastic getaway plan. 

The best source of observable velocity? Happy dogs doing zoomies. We have happy dogs that will inspire you in a million different ways, zoomies being one of them. Don't believe the naysayers, with the right hairy little muse anything is possible. 

Smell the flower. Be the flower. Pee on the flower. 

3) Meditation Group Annoys You and The EST People Are Really Expensive. With a little canine help, you can master mindfulness on your own. Step 1? Go outside for a walk. Teddy will make sure you go. Step 2? Find the flower. Oh wait, Teddy found it. Step 3? Concentrate on the flower. 

Just do what he's doing. If you have a hard time being in the moment, ask a pooch. Dogs are zen masters. And they don't care if you're wearing those weird cotton pajama type pants. 

Your thighs are toothpicks to me, lady!

4) You're Obsessed With Thigh Gap. In reality, who cares if your thighs touch? But with the media now throwing this term around like it's candy, more women are finding more reasons to feel awful about themselves. This stinks. You know what the remedy is? Owning an awesome adopted dog.

If you feel like your thighs are too big, try this: put your awesome adopted puppy on a chair. Have someone stand behind you eating a piece of pizza. Try to body block puppy with your thighs. 

Let's go! Let's do! Right now!

5) Because Dogs Are Awesome. OK, maybe you did think of that one before but it bears repeating. Need a big smile? A game of ball? Some hang out time on the couch? You need a dog. The good news? We can help. Whether your building a hovercraft, bored with flower arrangement, trying to get more zen, obsessed with your thighs or just about any other reason, we have a pooch that would be a good match for you. Check out our awesome adoptables here.

I peed on these flowers, too!

Forget the Kardashians: Our Bonded Pairs Dish On Relationships, Hopes and Cookies.

It's almost Valentines Day and love (and bickering) are in the air. To help celebrate, we turned to two of our bonded pairs and asked them to open up about each other, how they wound up here, and what they hope their future looks like.

If your heart and your home are too big for just one animal, we're waving one adoption fee on all pairs through February 17th. Twice the love and silliness for one adoption fee.

Ignore my sister. She gets lippy. 

Suki & Lydia

Lydia: We're are a lot alike - I won't deny that. Except she's more hyper than I am. If I take one step, she takes five.

Suki: What she means to say is we're practically identical except she's a little chunky and moves too slowly

Lydia: I wouldn't be so chunky if you didn't steal all of the cookies I try to save and eat them. Of course I hork them down. I wouldn't get so much as a taste if I didn't.

She's distracted - quick, pass me a cookie.

Suki: I'm trying to save you from your own worst instincts.

Lydia: But we'd be lost without each other....

Suki: Lost. Just lost. Like one of her cookies....

Lydia: We sleep on top of each other, we groom each other constantly, we play together, we even argue at times.

Suki: I'm always right, of course.

Lydia: It's good that the folks here agreed we need to go home together. I couldn't live without her. It'd be like losing the skinnier, more annoying parts of myself.

Suki: We have room in our hearts for a person. That's what would make us complete. A person of our own. And we're so small they could fit both of us in their lap at the same time.

Lydia: And of course I could keep Suki from annoying them too badly. Occupy some of that energy.

Suki: If that cookie is for her you can just hand it to me.

Interviews fees are payable in cookies. 

Dixie and Chickadee

Chickadee: DIXIE! DIXIE! Come over here. They want us to talk about ourselves.

Dixie: Are there cookies?

Chickadee: I don't know. You got cookies? Nothing in this world is free. Pats, cookies, butt scratches - we're busy girls. You don't have something to offer us we'll move on.

Dixie: And make sure you're patting while you talk to us. Behind the ears works as well.

Chickadee: So it was Christmas Eve, right? Not the best night to be roaming around on your own. But we weren't alone, we were together. So there we were, running around Sunnyvale together trying to find a place to crash for the night.

Dixie: And believe you me, the streets of Sunnyvale are NOT lined with cookies. Even on Christmas

Scratch my butt!

Eve. But being short nosed dogs, we tend to snort.

Chickadee: A lot. And we're not ashamed of it, either. Not even a little bit.

Dixie: If you don't make noise, how will the world know you're there? But yes, when we're on the move we do snort a little.

Chickadee: And a good samaritan heard us snorting and brought us here. It was nice to be warm on Christmas.

Dixie: Very nice. And the food here ain't bad, either. Of course they kept us together and that's a good thing. We need each other. Once you've made it on the streets together, you're just bonded, you know? But as nice as HSSV is, it's not home.

Chickadee: No, it's not. And we need a home. We have big personalities. We've sort outgrown this venue, know what I mean? Time to take this show someplace else.

Dixie: (snorts in agreement)

Chickadee: Didn't we say there needed to be cookies? Don't be cheap.

In addition to these two sets of lovely ladies, we have four more sets of pooches who need to go home with their companion. Cat person? We have bonded cat pairs as well. We even have bonded bunny pairs.  Why settle for the skittering of four little paws when you can have eight? It's like an instant family - just add love!

Meet Your Match

Looking for a date this Valentine's Day?  Look no further than...

Did you know that a third of all relationships begin online?  You can meet YOUR match today just in time for February 14th.  Go ahead and check out some of the dating profiles written by none other than our available HSSV cats.  They are all single and ready to mingle.

Name: Victor
Age: 8
Occupation: Personal Trainer

Hobbies: Rubbing on legs, dabbling in fantasy football

Looking For: Someone who can appreciate a real man-cat.  I'm sturdy and stately, ladies, so go ahead and check me out.  I'd love to be the center of your world, and I'll make sure you get all the attention you desire (as long as you have a little Fancy Feast to give in return).  Check out my profile or stop by my place for some one-on-one face time.
 
Name: Regina
Age: 7
Occupation: Psychiatrist

Hobbies: People-watching, tossing the ball around, reading romantic novels

Looking For: A single someone with a passionate heart and a good arm.  My idea of the perfect date would first be a nice couch session so we could slowly get to know each other, followed by a fun game of fetch-the-crinkly-ball.  You may even get a little love bite or two, if you get lucky.

Name: Mickey
Age: 9
Occupation: Professional Couch Sitter

Hobbies: Hanging out, watching Netflix, kneading the heck out of blankets

Looking For: A comfy couch I can permanently glue myself to.  And a person who knows how to scratch behind ears.  If you already have a feline friend but have room in your heart for one more, look no further than yours truly.

Name: Sammi
Age: 7
Occupation: Professional Chef


Hobbies: Eating, eating, and eating some more

Looking For: Food.  More accurately, a person with lots of food.  If you don't have any on you, don't worry about it.  I'm not one of those girls who will turn you down because of what you may or may not have in your pocket.  I'll let you shower me with massages no matter what, I will NEVER play hard to get.  But don't be offended if I check your pockets for myself.  You know, just in case.

Name: Mason
Age: 3
Occupation: Male Model

Hobbies: Leaning in for cheek rubs and being really, really, ridiculously good-looking

Looking For: A human who appreciates my ruggedly handsome features.  Because, let's face it, how often do you see a cat with such a dashing complexion?  I'd love someone who has a lot of attention to give a fabulous feline like myself.  Let's set up a date soon, okay, Beautiful?  I promise I won't let you down.

Find an available kitty near you to help celebrate YOUR Valentine's Day!  View more profiles and photos on our website or come in today and meet your match.

 

We're Out of Shelter Dogs But We Can Offer You A.....

Now that we've established that there's no such thing as a shelter dog the question remains: what kind of dogs do you actually have there? We asked our pooches to take on the big question of identity - who exactly are you? This is what they came up with. Obviously we gave them an assist - dogs don't do terribly well with Sharpies - but we think they did a nice job of showing the world who they are on their own terms.

Just look at me and WHOOMP, over I roll. Bring it...

Famous for her ridiculous grin, Roxy was found as a stray. From the first moment we met her, she had one thing on her mind - belly rubs. She also enjoys playing with her friends in the yard and trying to crawl up on your lap.

Have I shown you the one where I do your taxes? 

Haughty, brilliant, sassy and deeply loyal to his friends, Little Aspen is a character. An absurdly brilliant character. After mastering dance, sit, spin, roll over and stay, we're running out of the things to teach him. We're thinking of enrolling him in a pastry class at the Culinary Institute. Or you could come adopt him - he's too awesome to still be here.

I will colonize your lap. And it's impossible to be sad with a smiling dog on your lap.

No, it's not as silly or audacious as Roxy's open mouth grin but little Jim has a Mona Lisa smile.  There's different variations on the smile including one in which he's so enraptured his lips nearly touch his ears. Do you have a couch? He's perfect for you. And he's so tiny that even a loveseat would do. As long as you're sitting on it.

You have cookie, I have open mouth. Can we move this along? 

Oh, our Carlita is a lady of luxury. While she does a wicked play-bow, her passions in life run to butt-scratches and cookies. She dabbles in toys and enjoys a good walk but if you want to steal her adorable little brindle-and-white chuggy-heart, snacks are the way to go. With foodies being all the rage lately, we have to admire her staying on top of the trends.

I win! Never underestimate a low center of gravity!

Murphy's always an athletic guy but when the tuggy comes out, stand back. If Sochi had an Olympic Tugging Event Murphy wouldn't just take his weight class, he'd wipe the floor with the heavyweights, too. You know how tri-athletes tend to stay lean? Yup, he's like that. Fine boned, low body fat and ready to race.

In addition to our belly rub dogs, trick dogs, smiling dogs, cookie dogs and tug doys, we also have zoomie dogs, kid dogs, napping dogs, regal dogs, goofy dogs, messy dogs (aka puppies), slow dogs, fast dogs, fluffy dogs, princess dogs, jogging dogs, couch spud dogs, senior dogs, cat loving dogs, etc etc etc. You can see them in all their weird, wonderful permutations here.

But we still can't find any of those shelter dogs.