UPDATE:  5/21/14  - Happy news for sweet Sophie! She left the shelter today to go to her foster to adopt home in Lincoln, CA! Hip hip hooray for Sophie!

This plump little girl is Sophie and she likes head rubs and ear scratches. She is a little shy in the scary shelter environment but feels safer when she's with people.

She was brought in as a stray so not much is known about her. We think she is about six years old. 

Sophie has a heart murmur and therefore is not available for adoption. While each case is different, dogs with heart murmurs can live long and normal lives. Sophie will need to be put on a weight loss program to get those extra pounds off and lessen the stresses on her body.

This cutie is at high risk as she is almost out of time. Sophie needs a foster now. 

If you can save her life by giving her a temporary or a permanent home, fill out our application here.

Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

We've named her Sophie. Her foster home gets dibs on re-naming rights if they so choose!

SAME DAY UPDATE: Due to his fabulous-ness, Scotty found a foster home in a matter of a few hours. He will soon be available to adopt through St. Francis APS.

Scotty is an adorable tri-colored Chihuahua and Jack Russell terrier mix who has found himself back at the shelter for no reason other than his people no longer wanted a dog.

He's got a pair of glitchy knees and therefore deemed unadoptable and now at risk.

This friendly, alert and young boy is eager to meet every person and other dog he sees. And, if he's sitting on your lap, watch out! He'll plant a few kisses on your face. Scotty has quickly won the heart of every shelter volunteer who has met him. 

Help us save this happy and playful pup by giving him a temp (or permanent) home! We think he would be fine with other dogs and children. 

Fill out our foster application here.

Got questions? Email us at [email protected]!

UPDATE: 4/18/14 - Happy happy news! Shadow is leaving the shelter behind this afternoon. Thanks to St. Francis APS, she has a foster home to relax and destress in!

Does this look like the face of a kitty too old to live? Shadow's prior owner thought so. We DON'T!

Shadow is a loving but shy girl of 10 years. The shelter environment doesn't agree with her and she is pretty darn scared.

This beautiful, plus sized lady is quickly running out of her nine lives and needs a permanent or a foster home immediately. 

A patient person and a quiet place to unstress would be ideal for Shadow. She will also need a weight loss program to help her shed some pounds. 

Shadow's gotta whole lot of life left to live!

Can you help save her life? Fill out a foster application for her here. Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

UPDATE: 4/8/14 - We have heavy hearts tonight.

Victor was unable to overcome his medical issues and he has passed. We are comforted that an angel named Melissa sat by his side to let him know he was loved as he was let go. 

Rest in peace sweet boy.

This sweetheart needs to get out of the San Jose shelter urgently to save his life. 

His time is almost up.

Victor is a loving poodle mix who is not even 2 years old. 

He will try to give you kisses if you sit next to him.

Victor has an undetermined hind leg paralysis condition and needs a special foster home to care for him.

He will require a home where someone is available to monitor him most of the day, he will need assistance to go potty and he will need daily medications.

A rescue organization will pay for medical care and diagnostic testing. Can you help us save this darling boy? Fill out our application here. 

Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

UPDATE: 3/23/14 - Kayla Cattle Girl has a foster home! She will be leaving the shelter very soon. Once she has had a chance to destress, she will be available for adoption through St. Francis APS!

We don't know her story.

She was found on the streets in south San Jose and brought to the shelter.

This beautiful Australian Cattle Dog mix is a little too frightened in an unfamiliar shelter environment. For now we are naming her 'Kayla the Cattle Girl'.

Kayla is about 4 years old and weighs 63 lbs. While she cowers in fear in her noisy kennel, once she is led out to the play area, her true personality starts to show. 

She's interested in other dogs and people passing by; she solicits attention from people (and slips in a kiss or two). If she gets a chance, she will take a sneak peek into the window of the cat house. 

Because of her fear while in the kennel, Kayla the Cattle Girl is at risk. 

Once she is in a caring home, we know she will have a chance to blossom! She needs a temporary or permanent home immediately.

Can you give Kayla that chance? Fill out our foster application here. 

Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

Cattle dogs are known for their intelligence and high energy; Kayla will need regular exercise. You can find out more about this breed here.

UPDATE: 3/12/14 - Toto is SAFE! He has been rescued. We will share more details as we get them. Thank you for helping network this little guy!

So often animals in an unfamiliar environment like a shelter shut down from fear. Unfortunately this can prevent them from being deemed as adoptable.

If given the chance of a loving and patient home, they usually destress and their true personality blossoms. 

Toto is a perfect example of a scared boy who's fear is putting him at risk for euthanasia. He is only a year old and weighs about ten pounds. 

Can you help save this little cutie's life? He needs a temporary or permanent home immediately. You can find our foster application here. Questions? Email us at [email protected]

Toto isn't his real name, he was found as a stray. We have temporarily named him Toto. If you can provide him a second chance in life, you get naming rights!

FINAL UPDATE: 3/11/14 -  Thanks to social media and caring people who shared her story, Faith was adopted today! 

She was too shy to pose for the camera but inside the box is a whole lotta Faith.  Her new dad Jeff is posing with her shelter kennel card which has since been recycled!

URGENT UPDATE: 3/10/14 - Faith's kennel stress is getting worse and she is AT RISK. She needs to be adopted into a calm, one kitty only household asap. San Jose Animal Care Center is closed on Monday and will open at 11am Tuesday for adoptions. Adopt Faith! Watch her video below:

Shelter environments can be very stressful on animals.

It is especially hard on the ones who once lived in a home and suddenly find themselves in a cage with unfamiliar sights and sounds.

Faith ended up at San Jose Animal Care Center because her people were moving. She is having a difficult time adjusting to her new situation and is very distressed. She is succumbing to kennel stress. 

Faith needs to be adopted urgently and her life may depend on it. Providing her a caring patient home will let her destress and her personality will blossom. When she's feeling safe, she will gladly carry on a conversation and enjoys being petted and brushed. She's fond of hide and seek with a feather toy, too. Faith prefers humans over other felines so it would be best for her to be your one and only cat. As she's on the 'chunky' side, a medical check up and weight loss plan would benefit her.

You've gotta have Faith! The shelter is located at 2750 Monterey Road in San Jose, CA 95111. Their adoption hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11am until 6pm; Sunday from 11am until 4pm. They are closed Mondays. Faith's ID is #A883482.

FINAL UPDATE: 3/11/14 - Simon and Alpine have both been adopted!

UPDATE: 3/5/2014 - Happy report! These boys are safe and in foster homes. They were retested and found NOT to have FeLV. 

Simon the Snowshoe is available to adopt through St. Francis Animal Protection Society. Alpine the white kitty is available through 13th Street Cat Rescue.

Two young boys at the San Jose shelter have caught our attention with their beauty and won our hearts with their personalities. They do not have names as they were turned in as stray but it's obvious they have been around people.

"Snowshoe" is about a year and a half old. Snowshoe kitties are known for their sweet and mellow temperament, intelligence and devotion to their owners. 

"White Kitty" is still a kitten at about nine months old. He is very affectionate and loves to be petted.

These gorgeous boys have tested faintly positive for FeLV - feline leukemia virus. Unfortunately the test for FeLV often gives incorrect results. There is a possibility that these cats are at risk of euthanasia for a disease they might not have. They should be retested and the cost would be covered by a sponsoring rescue organization

And, if they are positive, FeLV kitties can live long happy lives. They need to be only cats as to not transfer the virus to non FeLV felines but they can live with other FeLV cats, dogs and rabbits etc! 

If you can help us save these sweethearts by providing a permanent or temporary home for one of them, please fill out our application here!
 
Check out their videos!

UPDATE - 2/22/14: My shelter days are O.V.E.R! I met my new mom this afternoon and she took me home. I am adopted and looking forward to sleeping on the couch again. Goodbye from Kato!

Kato's my name. I had a home for nine years and all of the sudden I find myself in a cage at a shelter? I just don't get it.

At 10 years old and as handsome as I am, I should be sleeping on the couch! Not in a steel box with dogs barking nearby and other cats meowing through the night.

A nice lady visited me yesterday and stuck a camera in my face. I forgot to smile because this place is a little scary to me. However, once she put the silly thing away she gave me pets so I purred real good for her. She told me that I'm not forgotten about. That there are people working to save my life and find me a real home.

So here's the deal - I'm looking for a forever home. If you can't provide that - no worries, I'll happily take a temporary home so I can leave the shelter and not be at risk any longer.

If you fill out this foster application thing-a-ma-jig here, I have some good peeps that will be in contact with you. 

You can also reach them at [email protected]. Tell them Kato the Maine Coon sent you! 

UPDATE: 2/20/14 - We have heavy hearts today. Our sweet ray of sunshine has passed. He spent his final days knowing what true love is.

UPDATE: 02/14/14 - Best.Valentine.Ever! Golden Boy went to a fantastic foster home last night. Once he's over his kitty cold, he will be available to adopt through St. Francis Animal Protection Society.

Golden Boy is sweeter than a box of chocolates and he is looking for his special Valentine!

He was spotted this past weekend with his own harem: three cat volunteers swooning over him while he solicited attention from all.

Golden Boy was surrendered by his owner. He had a blind eye removed and just recently came down with a cold. Despite his run of bad luck, he remains a ray of sunshine and keeps his head held high.

Cats often succumb to upper respiratory infections in stressful environments like a shelter. However, once placed in home where they can rest and destress, they typically recover quickly.

We are seeking a permanent home for Golden Boy. If you are interested in being his special and forever Valentine, fill out our application here. 

Have questions? Email us at info@sjanimaladvocates.