Front Street Animal Shelter

Dear animal lovers - Our shelter needs help. Thousands of animals will come through our doors this year, many of them sick, injured, and with nowhere else to turn. Each is a precious life, and today on the Big Day of Giving, we need your kindness to ensure we can save as many as possible. You can help at bigdayofgiving.org/FrontStreetFriends. Even the smallest gift can make the biggest difference <3

We don't know how long Lafayette has left, but he has a dream we're trying to make come true. He's only 9 months old, but was born with a leg deformity and a serious heart defect, and he could live anywhere from weeks to years. That's why we're doing everything we can to find a courageous adopter who will love and spoil him despite the uncertainty. If you'd like to give to help Lafayette and other animals like him, go to bigdayofgiving.org/FrontStreetFriends. Tomorrow is the Big Day of Giving, and we want Lafayette and all our other animals to have wonderful futures filled with love. Thanks for any help you can give, and let us know if there's a place in your family for Lafayette <3

Double trouble

"Just sharing a pic of me and Buster on our last RV trip to Death Valley. This is at Red Rock Canyon. He is such a great companion! He loves the RV and has travelled everywhere with me. He even goes in his backpack when I ride the bicycle. He's not very good about wearing his goggles though. . I love this little guy so much! Thank you for talking me into doing a foster to adopt before just letting me walk away because I thought he wasn't a good match. Best decision ever!!!!"

A big thanks to Market 5-ONE-5 (and their customers) for supporting our shelter!

Hooray for Happy! Finding a home for this boy wasn't easy, but it was well worth it. He was anything but happy at the shelter, suffering from significant anxiety that required medication to manage. Many of his foster homes didn't work out due to his behavior issues, and he'd come back and be miserable in his kennel. But he just found that perfect match, and now his name finally reflects how he feels :)

Many fences blew down in this weeks' storm, and many pets like Kassy escaped. Terrified, she spent two days running around, not letting anyone get close to her. Luckily one of our officers was able to locate Kassy and get her on his truck, quickly reuniting her with her owner Chai, who was very grateful to have her back. We are waiving fees to reclaim pets through next Wednesday...if you lost your pet, keep checking local shelters' websites, and text STRAY to 47177 for proven tips to help you find them.

Say what you want about their diet, but none can deny the graceful soaring of a turkey vulture. Unfortunately for this guy, he found himself very ungracefully grounded in a backyard in Sacramento. Officer Colan managed to capture him gently, and he’s now in the care of our friends at Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento. Best of luck for a speedy return to the skies, handsome friend!

Another young animal hero! Help us thank Jamison for bringing holiday cheer to our animals with his very thoughtful fundraiser that clearly inspired many of his friends and family!

"Thank you, Front Street! A year ago today Bear (aka Otto) arrived at your doors. We met him through the Doggy Day Out program and fell in love with him. Here he is now." -Marisela Gonzalez

Do you know an artistically-talented animal lover? We're looking for volunteer artists to create drawings for our first ever shelter coloring book! This book will help us fundraise and be educational for kids (of all ages!) If you'd like to create a sketch, email [email protected]

Pearl came to us as a small kitten barely clinging to life. She had two siblings who were also very sick, and sadly, she was the only survivor. On top of that, a condition called eyelid agenesis, which causes the eyelashes to curl in towards the eye, created a bad eye infection that necessitated a surgery to remove her eyes. Despite all this, she gradually grew into a strong and happy kitten, and became best friends with Lilly, a tabby from a different litter who got adopted right along with her. We were happy to get an update from Pearl's new family, who say being blind doesn't stop her one bit, and that she loves food, wrestling with Lilly, and get this - baths!

Many of us are afraid to go to the doctor...dogs included. Luckily RVT Stephanie took time to reassure this good boy that everything would be ok before his big surgery today. And less stress before surgery leads to faster recover after surgery.

We're jumping for joy! Why? Because even in the midst of an economic downturn, a bunch of truly amazing people came together and raised more than $65,000 for the animals yesterday on Giving Tuesday - the most we've ever raised! This might as well be called Wag Wednesday, because there's a lot of that going on around here! To everyone who donated, shared, or sent positive thoughts our way, thank you so much. The impact you'll make will be great, and we're furever grateful!

Free adoptions for the holidays! To help as many animals as possible find homes for Christmas, we’re waiving adoption fees when you adopt or foster a pet now through 12/31. Find the next member of your family on our website at cityofsacramento.org/Community-Develo/Animal-Care/Adoptions, then click the animal’s photo to email us! The shelter is closed, but we'll coordinate next steps through email. If you foster an animal before adopting, you must decide to adopt within five days.

Maren and Quinn were tired of sitting around during quarantine, so these ambitious young teens created an Etsy shop to sell their handmade masks, with all proceeds going to our shelter. In no time, this sister and brother duo raised a whopping $1000 for the animals! Their shop, BellaBluePumpkin, is named after their three beloved rescue pets. Now they're making more great stuff for animals and the environment...check them out! https://www.etsy.com/shop/bellabluepumpkin. We've all had our "quarantine projects," but we were really inspired by this one.

You can’t buy happiness. But you can give happiness, and funny enough, that makes us happier than just about anything. So we hope you’ll give happiness to a homeless pet in need today on Giving Tuesday. Donate at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/help-shelter-pets-in-need. We promise to use your donation responsibly and for maximum impact to save local animals. It takes so much to help animals heal, grow, and get adopted, and we absolutely could not do it without you. From us, and the animals, thank you <3

We loved the "Mutt 4 Life" music video by Oooh Bay Kool (Carl Robinson), featuring our very own shelter! Carl was part of the Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue Pawsitive Change program that pairs incarcerated men with rescue dogs for mutual rehabilitation and to teach dog training skills. Carl created this song and video to introduce the training methods he learned and encourage others to rescue pets in need! KooL Houndz Black Zebra Productions

Being a senior and needing an eye removed isn’t the best hand to be dealt if you’re a shelter dog. It did take quite some time, but we’re thrilled to announce Irie’s adoption! Her personality truly blossomed in foster care, and you can see from this new photo what a great sport she is and how far she’s come both physically and emotionally since day 1 at Front Street.

We have twelve adorable guinea pigs hoping to squeak their way into loving homes! People don't think to check shelters for these litttle guys, so they could use the power of social media. To learn more or meet them, email their foster mom at [email protected]!

And the first-place winner of our pet costume contest is...Buddy the patriotic pitty, reminding everyone to get out and vote today! If you're the owner of this adora-bull pup, please email [email protected] to claim your prize!

If you adopted your pet from Front Street, we hope you'll consider saving another life by helping other animals grow healthy, strong, and ready for adoption! Give at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/help-shelter-pets-in-need. Your donation, whether large or small, will make a big difference to an animal in need.

We get to see lots of "Transformation Tuesdays," and we always remember that behind every transformation is a compassionate person that gave that animal the second chance at life they needed. We hope you'll be that person for a shelter animal today on Giving Tuesday. Make a difference at https://charity.gofundme.com//ca/help-shelter-pets-in-need

THANK YOU to the incredibly kind people at Elk Grove Toyota for once again being our presenting sponsor for Paws to Party! They're truly a local company that cares deeply for the animals and community. Tonight we had a blast with Dog and Joe of the The Dog and Joe Sho, and our community of animal lovers raised over $17,000 in pawrty bag sales, silent auction items and donations!

Our virtual event starts at 6pm TONIGHT! Join Team Front Street and Dog and Joe of the Dog and Joe Sho to celebrate animals, lifesaving, and the people who make it all possible - you! We'll announce winners of the pet costume contest, play games, meet adoptable pets, and more! Register free here: https://paybee.io/quickpay.html Our silent auction closes at 6pm, get those last bids in on some incredible items! https://paybee.io/quickpay.html We're extending pawrty bag purchases, so you can get those treats and tricks on Halloween itself - a spooktacular way to get in the Halloween (and giving) spirit! Grab yours at https://paybee.io/quickpay.html

Make Halloween way more fun with a pawrty bag for you and your pet! Each bag includes a Front Street hat, mask, and collectible wine glass, along with pet and people treats from Savannah's Savory Sweets, a $20 gift card to Market 5-ONE-5, tote bag, toys and more! Get yours before they disappear at pawstoparty.org/pawrty-pack-to-go [Edit: A previous version of this post stated the Market 5-ONE-5 gift card was loaded for $25, but the correct amount is $20. We're working on a customer service solution for everyone who already purchased a bag and will be in touch via email - stay tuned and so sorry for the confusion!]

Enter our pet costume competition if you dare! Prizes: -1st Place - $500 -2nd Place - $400 -3rd Place - $300 -4th Place - $200... -5th Place - $100 Submit your photo at https://virtual.giggleandriot.com/pawstoparty2020. Winners will be announced at our free virtual event this Friday at 6pm. Register ahead of time here: https://paybee.io/quickpay.html If you can't make the event, after submitting, hit the email button to send the picture to yourself, and we'll notify you if you win! Submissions close 10/29 at 11:59pm! See more

Trick or treat Front Street! Save animals by getting a pawrty bag, which includes a Front Street hat, mask, collectible wine glass and tote bag, along with a $20 gift card to Market 5-ONE-5, human and dog cookies from Savannah's Savory Sweets, and more! VIP bags also come with a Front Street coffee tumbler and a $10 gift certificate to Chocolate Fish Coffee! Get your pawrty swag bag at https://paybee.io/quickpay.html [Edit: A previous version of this post stated the Market 5-ONE-5 gift card was loaded for $25, but the correct amount is $20. We're working on a customer service solution for everyone who already purchased a bag and will be in touch via email - stay tuned and so sorry for the confusion!]

We have been happy to partner with the California State Railroad Museum during the month of October for their All Aboard for Story Time reading program. Today is our last day reading to all of you and we are happy to have a special guest, Jim Houpt the President of Friends of Front Street Shelter. We look forward to partnering with the California State Railroad Musuem and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation in the future.

Lucy is being a good sport for her plasma transfusion. This sweet girl has Von Willebrand disease, which interferes with her blood's ability to clot. The plasma will help introduce clotting factors and improve her health - wish her words of encouragement!

It begins today! Our Paws to Party in-person event was cancelled, so we're going virtual - dress up your pet for our costume competition for huge cash prizes, bid on fabulous items in our silent auction, and get your pawrty bag filled with Front Street swag and treats for both you and your pet. It's all to save lives and have fun - and it will end with a free virtual Howl-o-ween celebration on October 30th hosted by Dog and Joe of The Dog and Joe Sho! Get all details on the costume contest, silent auction, pawrty bags and virtual event at pawstoparty.org!

"You guys knew him as Tripod, but he was Harold to me for over 11 years. You gave him a chance at life by opting for leg amputation rather than something worse. What a good life he had. Thank you for bringing this happy boy to my life. Today, we said goodbye." -Meaghan H. Our sympathy and gratitude to Harold's family for giving him the amazing life he deserved <3

Congratulations, Sporty. You overcame a very rough past and waited 9 long months, but you've finally found forever love <3