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.

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!

UPDATE: Teeka and Canelita Adopted!

Just thought our readers might like to know that Teeka and Canelita got adopted this past weekend! They were adopted by a great family with older children who say that it was, "love at first sight"! The girls were here at HSSV for 164 days!

Among others adopted this weekend who have been at Humane Society Silicon Valley for 100 days or more:
Alex and Rocky - bonded kitty pair at HSSV for 135 days
Roxy - longest doggie resident - been with us since before we moved into the new facility - a whopping 243 days!!!
Mika - 8 year old fabulous cat, at HSSV 114 days
Vigo - our resident white deaf cat who we were ALL in love with (his video was on HSSV's site for a little bit)
Bagheera - Great cat who was here for 128 days
Cindy - gorgeous older longhaired black kitty - 198 days!

Congratulations to HSSV's stellar adoptions team and of course, to all those wonderful adopters and the donors who make this work possible!

I Was Adopted in the Cat Community Room

Bridget Keenan
Director of Development




Our Cat Community Room is certainly a crowd-pleaser. Visitors ask if our cats are revolved from the individual condominiums into this room and back so they all benefit from this fabulous space, but that is not the case. You may wonder how certain cats are lucky enough to live in this room and the adjoining “Sun Porch”, and there’s quite a science to it, dependent on the proper mix of age, health, personality, and activity level. Appropriate cats for this room have been at HSSV for at least 2 weeks so the team can ensure they are healthy (think daycare where “little kids = germ bombs”).

They must be at least 6 months of age, but because they’re mellow and get along with everyone, they’re often “Golden Pets” (age 6 or older). But there may be a few rowdy cats thrown into the mix…the ones who get “The Zoomies”…because they have lots of room to expend their energy, and plenty of space for other less-active cats to get out of their way! These cats must be comfortable being introduced to new cats, and aren’t the type to hide (no fun going into the cat room and everyone is in a crawlspace!). So Cat Community Room residents are often the extroverts, although our cats in the condos can be extroverted, too! It adds up to a diverse room of interesting adoptables (or adopters, I should say, since everyone knows that cats adopt us!).

I myself got “adopted” in the Cat Community Room a few weeks ago, and it was a magical moment. I went into the room for a little kitty-therapy one Monday. I was jetlagged from a European flight the night before, and grieving the recent loss of my sister. I sat down on the wicker couch in HSSV’s Cat Community Room and this cute gray-and-cream muted tabby with green eyes immediately took one look at me, jumped off his perch, and hopped up into my lap. He put his paws on my shoulder and nuzzled my face. Hiya, fella!



But I was told there was a bonded pair, Alex and Rocky, in the room that I should check out, so after a few minutes I put him down and wandered over to see them. They had zero interest in me – it just wasn’t a love match. But ol’ Green Eyes kept following me around, putting his paws on my thighs to get picked up and held like a baby being burped. I finally asked “what’s your name, love?” and went outside to see his card and info. I my jaw dropped when I read his name was “Keenan”! (My last name being Keenan, talk about having a cat with my name written all over him!) After five straight days of similar visits, it was clear that Keenan was the one for me, and WE'RE now the bonded pair. (He had it all figured out on Day 1, and to this day wonders what took me so long.)

That’s why I love the Cat Community Room and condos…you can have your eye on one cat, but another will adopt you instead. Stop by and see who picks you out next time you’re at the Animal Community Center.