BERKELEY, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – An animal shelter in Berkeley is housing dogs from a Nevada hoarding case, pushing the shelter's resources to the limit.
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At Berkeley Humane, Executive Director Jeffrey Zerwekh told KCBS Radio that every spring is busy, but last weekend exceeded capacity.
"We were asked to help with a hoarding case for some dogs that came out of Nevada and at the same time we had a transport of animals coming up from the Central Valley," he said.
The hoarding case involved 18 dogs packed together in a small trailer with terrible living conditions. "Upon learning of this tragic situation, we had an emotional response – and knew we needed to help immediately," the shelter wrote in a Facebook post.
Six of the dogs are being taken care of at Berkeley Humane, receiving individual attention, nutritious food, medical care, love and all the treats they deserve.
"We don't yet know the extent of their needs – but they will stay with us as long as it takes to become physically and emotionally healthy before we find them loving homes," the shelter said.
Berkeley Humane is now at its highest animal population in more than a year following the rescue and two transports of animals from the Central Valley, where veterinary care is limited and shelters don't have open kennels.
"The two transports on Tuesday were about 10 dogs, but at the same time we were bringing in litters of kittens, senior cats from other shelters," Zerwekh said.
In his 10 years at the shelter, Zerwekh described this month as "one of the hardest times" he's ever seen.
"The pandemic definitely set animal welfare back because so many people acquired animals, but weren't able to get them spayed and neutered and so we're seeing so many more animals in need right now," he explained.
Berkeley Humane is looking forward to its ninth annual fundraiser, Pints for Paws, to help the shelter build back its resource stockpile and feel more comfortable. The event is scheduled for June 3 at 2700 Ninth St. Those who want to attend can buy tickets at Berkeley Humane website. Every attendee will receive a commemorative Belgian style glass and unlimited tastings of local craft beers, ciders, local artisan wines, handcrafted vodka and more.
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