When one-year-old Orinda first arrived at the shelter as a stray without a microchip, she was very gentle but understandably wary of her new environment.
To help her settle in, FOAS-funded Playgroup Coordinator stepped in to select the perfect, gentle playgroup to help her feel safe. Over the next few weeks, we watched Orinda blossom as she played with other dogs.
Thanks to these playgroups, she built confidence and learned to love having fun in the sun with her shelter buddies.
Orinda quickly caught the eye of a wonderful family, and recently she was officially adopted!
Now renamed June, she is settling beautifully into her new life. Her adopter says June loves people of all kinds (friends, strangers, even the vet!) with classic pittie enthusiasm: full-speed, full-heart, no holding back.
Happy tails, June! 🩷
Fun and practical
When you think of doggie playgroups, you probably think of goofy zoomies and a lot of wagging tails. And while it is a ton of fun, playgroups are also a critical, multi-purpose approach for supporting the dogs at Oakland Animal Services (OAS).
See dogs enjoy playgroups at OAS.
Beyond letting dogs just be dogs, playgroups drastically reduce kennel stress and give the team invaluable insights into each dog’s social skills. Plus, an OAS staff favorite, it allows OAS Animal Care Attendants to efficiently clean entire kennel wards all at once while the pups enjoy themselves outside. Talk about a win-win!
These playgroups are managed by incredible FOAS-funded Playgroup Coordinator Steve LaChapelle. By working closely with a dedicated team of volunteers to build the program’s capacity, he has successfully expanded the program with playgroups happening 7 days a week!
Thank you to everyone who supports FOAS and makes stories like June’s possible!