Decker: Goofball Extraordinaire

Decker has a growing fan base at the shelter and it's no surprise. This silly pooch is a delight! He's so playful and entertaining and loves to engage with humans and his doggy friends.

It's hard to take a bad picture of this squishy, big-headed boy!

Decker wears his heart on his... umm... sleeve. Here he pulls out all stops in his attempt to woo Harley who apparently was waiting on a more sophisticated, less obvious overture. They had a nice walk together but the real play fun was had with Jeannie (below).

Close-up on Raider

Our boy Raider was sooo happy to spend some time sunbathing in the park today. It was such a pleasure to see him looking so relaxed. Raider appeared to relish the doggie massage too. Good sweet boy.

Eagle's Sunday Stroll

Eagle stepped out on Sunday for a pleasant bit of sightseeing.

First stop was the Waterside Cafe to test out the chairs so nicely arranged to view the water.

Before departing, Eagle partook of a beef stick to gather energy for the rest of the trip.

Next a moment of repose to ponder the lovely mural adorning one of the park buildings.

"BE KIND" it read. Yes indeed, words to live by. In particular, be kind to doggies!

A little doga was then in order. Ah, feel that stretch...

Finally, Eagle topped it all off with a fun game of catch the spray from an unusual drinking faucet.

Avea/Dee – two years in a home and going strong

You’d have to be a pretty long-term volunteer to remember Avea. She arrived at the shelter in May 2009. By the time I started volunteering in August 2009, she already had three months under her belt. She was the first dog I ever walked at the shelter. I picked her mainly because she looked so docile and friendly in her kennel. She also looked a lot like my dog Ziggy. And of course, she hadn’t yet been out that day.

She was great to work with – very easy to collar, and no pulling on the leash. She knew all of her basic commands, and learned new ones easily. She really spoiled me. I thought all the shelter dogs would be this easy! The only problem I ever had with her was when she wanted to pull towards any puddle she saw so that she could flop around in it. She was the type of dog that was funny no matter what she did. My favorite was when she would occasionally switch to her swishy walk – stepping with her two left legs in unison, and then her two right legs. Her butt would need about a two-foot berth to accommodate all the waggling.

Avea eventually became a lot like Joey. Shelter volunteers loved her, but she seemed so happy and content in the shelter that other dogs always seemed to receive more attention.

Avea was about to reach the one year mark at BACS in May 2010 when the unthinkable happened. She was adopted by a couple from Sacramento who drove all the way to Berkeley specifically to meet her. She went home with Mike and Kai that day.

Avea was renamed Dee, and immediately fit into life with her new family. She’s now been with them for two years and Kai was nice enough to send us an update with some new pictures.

“Dee is doing great and I can't even begin to describe to you how much I love and adore her. Even after 2 years of being together, she makes me laugh everyday. If Mike and I are apart, I keep him updated daily on her antics, facial expressions and mischievous deeds. I am still constantly impressed and surprised by how incredibly smart and intuitive she is and just what a joy she is to have in my life."

"We recently took a little family vacation to Half Moon Bay at a dog-friendly hotel and I reflected back to our trip two years ago to Tahoe when we first adopted her and it's clear to see that our bond has gotten so much stronger over time. We were able to have her off her leash almost the entire time and she looked to us every step of the way for direction about where to go and what to do." 

"Sometimes she looks at me with such intensity and intention when I'm talking that it's almost hard for me to imagine she doesn't understand every word of what I'm saying." [NOTE: she is not showing much of this so-called intensity in the picture below]

"She truly is the perfect dog and we're thankful everyday to have her in our lives.”

May's Volunteers of the Month

Peter and Michelle

Michelle and Peter

These two volunteers have been making a big splash. It seems like they're always at the shelter. And just look at all the friends they've already made.

Why did you initially decide to volunteer at BACS?

We recently moved to Berkeley from Philadelphia in mid-August, and we thought volunteering at a local animal shelter would be the perfect way to volunteer together, meet people, and feel more at home in our new city.

Peter: I have a family dog back home--a pomeranian named Panda--and I miss her a lot. I signed us up for volunteer orientation because I wanted to spend time with dogs in some way. I hope we can welcome a dog into our home soon.

Michelle: I, on the other hand, have never had a pet and never walked a dog larger than Panda before. I was so nervous about volunteering at first...and I definitely thought I’d stick with the small lap dogs.

Peter: That didn’t last long. One walk and belly rub session with Paco and Michelle was sold.


What are your favorite things about volunteering?

Our favorite activity is just relaxing and playing with the dogs in Aquatic Park. It’s great to see dogs in their element, outside of their kennels. Their personalities can just shine! We have realized that, once the dogs start trusting you as a handler, they can be so eager to show affection and learn new commands. It’s also great when they just want to take a nap on your lap. We recently started taking dogs to BAD RAP class (Peter takes Bernard and Michelle takes Jeannie), and we so appreciate the extra opportunity to build bonds with these dogs so they can get that much closer to finding their forever homes. In addition, we enjoy the company of other volunteers and staff.

Michelle and Jeannie

Who are your favorite dogs, past and present?

Past dogs: Jada (www.facebook.com/ForeverHomeforJada), Dottie, Betty, Latif, Zeta, Bentley, Smithers
Current dogs: Paco (the first pittie we ever walked!), Bernard, Jeannie, Lady Belle, Fergus

Looks like Peter just lost his staring contest with Bernard

What do you do when you're not at the shelter?

In our spare time, we enjoy getting to know our new home and state. We like walking around Berkeley and Oakland to visit farmers markets and local stores -- we love how abundant and affordable produce is out here! We enjoy various outdoor activities, and this region offers plenty. We recently spent a long weekend hiking in Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Last fall, we camped in Big Sur. We also love to find good food to eat (suggestions welcomed!)

What a coincidence! Paco loves to find good food to eat, too!

BAD RAP action

Whew, it is getting hot out. Let's see which dogs and handlers are able to beat the heat, and who is wilting.

Brad is clearly not in a working mood.

 

This is a little more like it. Lia and Patches are ready for action. So are Michelle and Jeannie.

Girlie and Addie looking strong in the wedding march.

Peter has Bernard moving right along.

DeAnna and Donner are ready for their turn. But Joey looks to be giving out on Angelika.

BUSTED. Laura finds out the hard way...once Paco finds a cool shady spot, there is no moving him.

Cindy and Lady Belle look motivated. So do Optimus and Courtney.

Sigh...Earth to Brad. Come in please.