Dear HSSC Family,

From each of us to each of you, we hope that you are safe and healthy. Here in Sonoma County, we are under orders to Shelter in Place in an effort to mitigate the impact COVID-19 will have on our community. As we work to take care of each other, we remain committed to caring for the animals too.

Thanks to our robust network of trained foster families, we have been able to – and continue to - place many of our animals into foster homes. For the animals who remain at our shelter, many of whom are under medical care, we are maintaining a limited number of onsite personnel most essential to their safety, health, happiness and overall wellbeing.

To ensure the health and safety of our beloved volunteers, all volunteer activities have been suspended for the time being. We are so grateful to everyone who has reached out asking about volunteering, including foster opportunities. We are not currently in need of additional volunteers, but look forward to bringing new families into our foster and volunteer communities once Shelter in Place restrictions are lifted.

One of the greatest impacts we’re experiencing is due to the temporary closure of our adoption centers. No adoptions means that animals will stay in the shelter system longer, which is hard for them. It also means we have less room to take in animals from crowded shelters where they might be at risk of euthanasia.

We also remain committed to our role as a resource to people and pets in our community in this time of great need. We are maintaining our Pet Food Pantry for those who need assistance in providing food for their companion animals. Our Community Veterinary Clinic is an essential service and continues to provide care to owned animals in need on a very limited, case-by-case basis – focusing on urgent and emergent cases that cannot wait until we are able to resume services.

Our Spay/Neuter Clinic and public dog training classes will resume as soon as Shelter in Place restrictions are lifted and our staff can proactively plan to expedite appointments and registration.