Every week, a headcount of the dogs, cats, roosters, rabbits and the occasional tortoise hoping to trade a kennel for a couch somewhere around the Monterey Bay.
This week, 240 animals are listed for adoption across five shelters and rescues in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties — 17 fewer than last week. Fewer is the direction we like.
That’s 94 dogs, 86 cats, and 60 others — roosters, chickens and bantams still by the dozen, Francine the Yorkshire pig, rabbits (Jasmine the Flemish Giant is still five months old and still not giant), hamsters, two Russian tortoises, turtles, an iguana, bearded dragons, Randy the pigeon, Rupert the Thoroughbred, and a chicken named Maverrick. Missing from the roll call: Lucy the macaw. More on that below.
The rooster situation: ongoing.
The Count
- SPCA Monterey County — 85 (19 dogs, 18 cats, 48 others)
- Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter — 66 (26 dogs, 29 cats, 11 others)
- Monterey County Animal Services (Hitchcock Road, Salinas) — 37 (29 dogs, 7 cats, 1 other)
- Animal Friends Rescue Project — 27 (11 dogs, 16 cats)
- Santa Cruz SPCA — 25 (9 dogs, 16 cats)
Counts come from each organization’s public adoption listings as of Monday, November 9. Listings change daily — some of these pets may already be home by the time you read this, which is exactly the point.
Who Went Home
Of the 257 animals listed last week, 83 have since left the listings — found homes, as far as we can tell, though a few may have been transferred or moved to another program. Meanwhile, 66 newcomers took their places.
- SPCA Monterey County — 28, including Lucy the 14-year-old macaw from last week’s “meet” list, plus Badger, Xena and Chica
- Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter — 21, including dogs Starburst and Sweet Tart and cats Dracula and Butternut
- Monterey County Animal Services — 20, including Sir Quacks-A-Lot the duck, also from last week’s list, plus dogs Honey and Becca
- Santa Cruz SPCA — 10, including Kimber, last week’s oldest dog on their list, plus Buttercup, Wendy and Princesa
- Animal Friends Rescue Project — 4: Rye, Lilly, Little Bear and Gonzo
Three of last week’s eight “meet” picks are off the list. Lucy, Sir Quacks-A-Lot, Kimber: we’d like to think we helped. We did not help. But we’d like to think it.
A Few We’d Like You to Meet
Dom — Monterey County Animal Services. An 8-year-old pit bull and American bulldog mix, brought to the shelter on May 5 and still on the list — six months now. This is his fourth week in this space. We said we’d keep going. We are a radio station; we’re very good at repeating ourselves.
Maverrick — Monterey County Animal Services. A chicken, 2 years and 1 month old, brought to the shelter October 6. Two R’s, per the listing. We don’t make the rules.
Perky — Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. A 14-year-old domestic mediumhair, one of the oldest cats at the county shelter. The name came with her. What you do with it is up to you.
Shellma Hayek — Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. A turtle, age unknown, housed in the shelter’s exotics area. Whoever named her deserves a raise.
Hershey — SPCA Monterey County. A Siberian husky, 8 years and 3 months old, and the oldest dog on the SPCA’s list. Named after a chocolate bar, the only kind of chocolate a dog should be anywhere near.
Gerta — SPCA Monterey County. A 10-year-old Russian tortoise, listed alongside Tom, another 10-year-old Russian tortoise. Tortoises can outlast a 30-year mortgage. Budget accordingly.
Fluffy — Santa Cruz SPCA. An 11-year-old Persian and the oldest pet on the Santa Cruz SPCA’s list. The name was settled eleven years ago and is not up for review.
Autumn — Animal Friends Rescue Project. A domestic shorthair born in August 2011, listed as a long-term resident and living in a foster home; her listing asks for a single-cat, adult-only home with no dogs. Fifteen this past summer — belated happy birthday, Autumn.
Where to Find Them
- Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter — 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz (plus a Watsonville location). Open daily 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; adoptions end at 5.
- SPCA Monterey County — 1002 Monterey-Salinas Highway, across from Laguna Seca. Adoption Center open daily 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Monterey County Animal Services — 160 Hitchcock Road, Salinas. Adoptions are in person, first come, first served.
- Animal Friends Rescue Project — most of its animals live in foster homes; start with the adoption pages online. (AFRP is a KRML supporter.)
- Santa Cruz SPCA — 2601 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz. Browsing hours Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Can’t adopt right now? Fostering, volunteering, and sharing this post all count. So does telling the tortoise person in your life about Gerta.
Paws on the Bay is KRML’s weekly roundup of adoptable animals around the Monterey Bay. Next week: who went home, and who’s still waiting.