Berkeley Humane Returning to In-person Dog Adoptions

Olympic medalist Abbey Weitzeil smiles with her pal, Kieran, a big happy athletic dog who has his paw up and his tongue out
Berkeley Humane is thrilled to announce that starting this weekend and for the first time since the start of the pandemic, dogs looking for new loving families can now be adopted without an appointment at the shelter located at 2700 Ninth Street in Berkeley.

Drop-in Dog adoptions resume for first time since March 2020 with help from Olympic Gold Medalist Abbey Weitzeil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2022

Contact: Elizabeth Ottinger
Director of Development & Communications
eottinger@berkeleyhumane.org 

Berkeley, Calif.—Berkeley Humane is thrilled to announce that starting this weekend and for the first time since the start of the pandemic, dogs looking for new loving families can now be adopted without an appointment at the shelter located at 2700 Ninth Street in Berkeley.

“The pandemic forced reduced levels of volunteers and staff. Once things started opening again, it took longer than expected to build the infrastructure back to the point where the resources were available for drop-in adoptions,” according to Kirsten Loomer, Director of Operations for Berkeley Humane.

To help celebrate Berkeley Humane’s return to full pre-pandemic services, Abbey Weitzeil, a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (2016-2020) and multiple Olympic medal-winner, is helping to spread the word. Abbey is not only a top athlete who won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay for swimming in the preliminary heats and a silver medal at both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but also loves animals and has two of her own big rescue dogs.

Abbey recently spent time at Berkeley Humane getting to know a special dog named Kieran who has been in the shelter for over 250 days. “Kieran is a great example of one of the biggest challenges facing animal shelters across the country. Bigger dogs are staying in shelters for longer periods of time because most people are looking for smaller pets,” said Abbey Weitzeil, Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer. “Despite being larger and in need of regular exercise, they make great pets so, from one athlete to another, I am encouraging the community to take a second look at these big dogs and help find them a loving home.”

To meet Kieran and other adoptable dogs and cats at Berkeley Humane, come by 2700 Ninth Steet on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 11 AM – 4 PM. Animal profiles can be previewed at berkeleyhumane.org.

ABOUT BERKELEY HUMANE

Berkeley Humane is one of the oldest and most trusted animal welfare organizations in the Bay Area. With its origins dating back to 1895, today Berkeley Humane serves the people and animals of our community by providing life-saving programs for cats and dogs, cultivating compassion, and strengthening the human-animal bond. With the support of a dedicated and talented volunteer and staff team, Berkeley Humane intakes animals from municipal shelters around the Bay Area who are often in need of medical care, improved nutrition, enrichment and lots of love. Learn more at berkeleyhumane.org.

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