Every week, a headcount of the dogs, cats, roosters, rabbits and the occasional macaw hoping to trade a kennel for a couch somewhere around the Monterey Bay.
This week, 260 animals are listed for adoption across five shelters and rescues in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
That’s 95 dogs, 102 cats, and 63 others — a category that this week includes more than twenty roosters and chickens, a handful of ducks, several rabbits, a few turtles, an iguana, a bearded dragon, a pigeon, a thoroughbred, and one 14-year-old macaw.
Somebody out there has room for a rooster. We believe in you.
The Count
- Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter — 111 (37 dogs, 48 cats, 26 others)
- SPCA Monterey County — 56 (10 dogs, 9 cats, 37 others)
- Monterey County Animal Services (Hitchcock Road, Salinas) — 32 (24 dogs, 8 cats)
- Animal Friends Rescue Project — 31 (12 dogs, 19 cats)
- Santa Cruz SPCA — 30 (12 dogs, 18 cats)
Counts come from each organization’s public adoption listings as of Monday, October 19. Listings change daily — some of these pets may already be home by the time you read this, which is exactly the point.
A Few We’d Like You to Meet
Dom — Monterey County Animal Services. An 8-year-old pit bull and American bulldog mix who has been waiting at the shelter since May 5. That’s more than five months of watching other dogs leave first. Dom would like a turn.
Hershey — SPCA Monterey County. A Siberian husky, 8 years and 3 months old. Huskies are famous for having opinions. At eight, Hershey has had plenty of time to form good ones.
Lucy — SPCA Monterey County. A 14-year-old macaw. Macaws can live for decades, so Lucy is, in parrot terms, just getting into her stride.
Indie — Animal Friends Rescue Project. An 8-year-old French bulldog living in a foster home, listed as good with cats, dogs, and kids. That’s the full set.
Teddy — Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. A 7-year-old standard poodle and golden retriever mix weighing in at 91 pounds. Plan your sofa accordingly.
Bruno — Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter. A 4-year-old pug and the shelter’s current Pet of the Week, a title he presumably accepted with great dignity and some snoring.
Grey — Santa Cruz SPCA. At 9 years and 3 months, the oldest cat on the Santa Cruz SPCA’s list. Senior cats arrive fully assembled, no kitten-proofing required.
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 rooster person in your life about the roosters.
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.