The Overflowing San Jose Animal Shelters, and Rescue Groups Helping the Effect
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San Jose is home to many furry friends. Although cute, shelters in San Jose cannot house every cat and dog in need. Therefore, in addition to shelters, many animal rescue groups work with the City of San Jose to provide resources and temporary homes for the many stray animals of San Jose.
The partnership between shelters and rescue groups is extremely important. Without volunteers and donations, kittens often found in springtime and puppies found in fields would stay stray.
The stray population of domesticated animals, especially cats, in San Jose has been steadily increasing, and always sees a spike in the spring. Although there is no definitive estimate of the number of strays, in March of 2023, the City of San Jose took in 188 stray pets per week; the next month, in April, the city saw an average of 348 strays per week. Although there is no data, because counting stray animals is tricky, the city is sure that kittens are playing a massive role in the problem, as in April 2023, 743 stray and found kittens were brought into the San Jose Animal Care and Services Center.
Additionally, the shelter has a capacity of 500; however, this past November, the city housed upwards of 700 animals. Housing 200 more than the limit, the extra animals put a huge strain on the shelter’s ability to provide quality care for all the animals. It is also important to note that November is one of the lower-impact months for the shelter, so if they have 200 extra animals in a light month, in spring and summer, it is likely that shelters are further pushed to the max.
Unfortunately, San Jose is struggling to provide for animals. Luckily, rescue groups are assisting the shelters and taking some of the impact.
All Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF) is a prominent rescue group in San Jose. Located in Morgan Hill, AARF provides services throughout the Bay Area. Their greatest outreach is getting kittens and cats adopted; their main way is hosting their Kitty Adoption Playroom, which takes place every Saturday in Morgan Hill. You can find out more about the organization and its events here.
Another organization that is doing great work in San Jose is the 13th Street Cat Rescue. Located just blocks away from Notre Dame, this rescue is committed to rescuing, spaying, and adopting out stray cats. On their website, they have adoption events, where you can see all of their adoptable cats, and their rescue, spay, and adoption stats for each year. In 2024, they adopted out 189 cats!
If you are looking to get involved in either of these organizations, follow the links to their respective websites. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities and options to become a foster. Fostering allows these organizations to continue their philanthropic work, and they always need more homes.
