On May 16 and 17, 2026, Berkeley Humane welcomed hundreds of Bay Area pet families to a community wellness weekend, providing free vaccines, microchips, pet ID tags, pet food pantry support, and pet photography services to approximately 350 pets and the people who love them.
The two-day event was part of Champions for Pet Health: Communities Partnering for Pet Health & Wellness, a regional initiative uniting 12 partner organizations across seven Bay Area counties to expand access to essential veterinary care for pets and their families.
Berkeley Humane is deeply grateful to La Russa Rescue Champions, the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, Maddie’s Fund, and the BISSELL Pet Foundation for supporting this important initiative and helping make these services accessible to the community.
Hosted at Berkeley Humane, the free clinic offered no-cost vaccines and microchips with no appointment required, an increasingly important resource as veterinary care becomes more difficult to access and more expensive for many families.
As veterinary costs continue to rise, many pet guardians are struggling to keep up with even basic preventive care. Free community clinics like Champions for Pet Health help remove those barriers by bringing essential services directly to the families who need them most.
For many attendees, the weekend provided more than vaccines and microchips.
It provided relief.
Families arrived throughout the weekend seeking care for pets they deeply love but may otherwise have struggled to access services for. Some shared stories about long wait times for veterinary appointments. Others described the financial pressure of rising costs for routine care.
These clinics help pets stay healthy, reduce the spread of preventable disease, and increase the likelihood that pets remain with the families who love them. Vaccinations protect against serious illnesses such as parvovirus, distemper, and rabies, while microchips and pet ID tags significantly improve the chances of lost pets returning home safely.
The event also highlighted the growing importance of access-to-care programs within animal welfare. When families can access preventive veterinary services early, communities see fewer emergency medical crises, fewer owner surrenders due to financial hardship, and stronger long-term outcomes for both pets and people.
“We know how much pets mean to the families who love them, especially during challenging times,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, Executive Director of Berkeley Humane. “Berkeley Humane is committed to showing up for our community by providing free vaccines and microchips that help keep pets safe, healthy, and at home.”
In addition to large-scale community events like Champions for Pet Health, Berkeley Humane continues to provide ongoing affordable veterinary care through Spay the Bay, the organization’s low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinic program. Spay the Bay offers affordable spay/neuter services and monthly low-cost vaccine clinics through Berkeley Humane’s veterinary hospital, currently located inside the PetSmart store in Pinole, California.
The success of the weekend would not have been possible without the dedication of Berkeley Humane’s medical team, volunteers, local veterinary professionals, donors, and community partners who came together to make the event possible.
As access to affordable veterinary care continues to challenge pet families across the region, Berkeley Humane remains committed to expanding programs that provide practical, compassionate support to the community, because helping pets starts with helping the people who love them.
Learn more about Berkeley Humane’s community programs and future wellness clinics.