No. Cal's First 'No-kill' Shelter Taking Over Animal Services

REDWOOD CITY, CA -- When you've been given months to live due to cancer after enduring abuse and developing a skin condition, the future or even the present looks like a dreaded dog-day afternoon.

Just ask rescue dog Milo, a kindred spirit earning the nickname "Miraculous Milo."

But with Pets In Need operating Northern California's first no-kill shelter to support his will and struggle, it can be a dog's life.

Such as the case when the Redwood City-based organization hosted a celebration that brought out Peninsula dignitaries to visit success stories like of dogs like Milo, which is now thriving in “fospice” care with Los Altos resident Sheela Pai and her family. He was facing a death sentence four years ago.

“Milo’s sure not giving up,” Pai said. “Another shelter may have put him down, but Pets In Need saved him. He’s 8 years old now and starting to get a little silver under his chin. He wasn’t supposed to live long enough to get silver hairs.”

Pets In Need staged the ceremony last Thursday to honor its agreement with the city of Palo Alto to provide animal care services for the Peninsula town, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Under the agreement, Pets In Need recently assumed the day-to-day operations of the city shelter, saving the city about $400,000 a year in operating costs and enabling the Redwood City-based organization to expand its rescue operations and advance its no-kill mission.

“We are grateful to the City of Palo Alto for the opportunity to expand our services and build on our history of providing progressive, humane care for abused and at-risk animals,” Pets In Need Board President Rob Kalman said. “I commend the city for its commitment to making the Palo Alto shelter a national model for the humane treatment of animals in public shelters.”

Palo Alto Mayor Eric Filseth joined Pets In Need for a recent celebration, which included tours of the shelter, a preview of planned renovations and opportunities to meet adoptable animals.

“This partnership with Pets In Need ensures that the residents of Palo Alto will continue to have access to local animal shelter services right here in our community,” Filseth said. “Pets In Need has a proven track record of operating as a cost-effective and efficient animal shelter that is dedicated to providing humane, life-saving care, and we are pleased to welcome them to Palo Alto.”

Pets In Need accepts any animal brought into the Palo Alto shelter by animal control officers or residents of Palo Alto, Los Alto and Los Altos Hills. The shelter is currently open for adoptions Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pets In Need also offers a vaccination clinic, animal licensing services, lost and found pet assistance as well as volunteering and fostering opportunities. In the upcoming months, the organization expects to begin offering a spay and neuter clinic, humane education programs such as camps, teen shadow opportunities, school and youth organization visits, along with birthday parties.

Renovations to the Palo Alto shelter are underway, including basic repairs to the existing kennels as well as renovations to the offices and lobby. Pets In Need expects to add kennels and make upgrades to the medical suite over the next several months.

“We are excited to be in Palo Alto and look forward to providing services and programs that make the world a better place – for animals and people,” Pets In Need Executive Director Al Mollica said. “Thanks to the generosity of individual donors, corporations and foundations that support the life-saving mission of Pets In Need, we are moving closer to our vision of a world in which every healthy and adoptable animal finds a forever home."

The celebration brought out Milo, a Pets In Need rescue dog, which four years ago was given only months to live. In addition to being diagnosed with cancer, Milo was abused as a puppy and has a skin condition. He is now thriving in “fospice” care with Los Altos resident Sheela Pai and her family.

“Milo’s sure not giving up,” Pai said. “Another shelter may have put him down, but Pets In Need saved him. He’s 8 years old now and starting to get a little silver under his chin. He wasn’t supposed to live long enough to get silver hairs.”

Founded in 1965, Pets In Need is Northern California’s first no-kill animal shelter. The nonprofit organization rescues cats and dogs from public shelters in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond when they are in danger of being euthanized due to space or financial limitations. The organization operates the Palo Alto animal shelter. Its medical operation is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association, a distinction given to less than 15 percent of veterinary clinics in the United States.

To obtain more information on Pets In Need including adoption services, visit https://www.petsinneed.org.