Silicon Valley Pet Project Helps At-Risk Cats & Dogs

I am an avid pet lover. Having a pet not only enriches your own life, but that of your furry friend as well. All too often there are more pets in shelters than there are homes ready to adopt a cat or dog. Many of these animals are at a higher risk of euthanasia due to medical or behavioral issues. This is a big concern for myself and others who enjoy life with their pets. With this in mind, I want to highlight a wonderful organization of volunteers who are working to help rescue pets from area animal shelters. Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) has one overriding goal in mind–to save at-risk shelter cats and dogs through rescue programs, community connections and public education. Launched in February, 2015, SVPP is already making strides towards helping animals in need.

Through volunteer efforts alongside donations, grants, and working in partnership with area shelters, Silicon Valley Pet Project is already making a difference. One of their success stories is The Dancing Cat, a community lounge and adult cat shelter started as an SVPP initiative in 2015. Giving adult cats the space they need alongside a comfy living-room like place where cat lovers can relax is helping fill a void when it comes to older, harder-to-place cats. Here anyone can stop by for some feline time, whether you are looking to adopt or simply enjoy being around cats. The Dancing Cat was initially to be opened for just four short weeks as a pop-up spot. The idea was so popular that it remained open for another six months, and now it is back again, this time through November.

Like The Dancing Cat, SVPP is working to find a permanent location where they can hold a variety of workshops, fundraisers and adoption events. In the meantime, they have been able to foster great community relationships with business to hold their pet adoption events such as the cat & kitten adoption event on July 23^rd at the Willow Glen Unleashed by Petco location, and the dog & cat adoption event on August 6^th at Pet Food Express in Los Gatos. Silicon Valley Pet Project has a 5-year goal to find a permanent home for the programs they support, and the ideas they plan to implement.

Not only does SVPP want to make no-kill shelters in the area a reality, they also know the importance of working with the community when it comes to helping pets in need. With the great number of at-risk pets that are in our shelters, Silicon Valley Pet Project has also created a wonderful Pet Foster-Parent program. Many shelter pets need an extra hand on a temporary basis. Pet fostering is one way to help. SVPP works with pet foster parents to care for shelter pets in their homes directly. In exchange to offering your home to a foster pet, the SVPP provides food and supplies as well as medical care for the pet in your care. Having pet foster parents is a stepping stone toward helping a cat or dog find a permanent home. When an adoptive parent can see the success of a pet in a foster home, they are more likely to take a chance on an at-risk pet, a win-win for everyone.

Whether you are looking to adopt a pet or simply love cats and dogs like I do, Silicon Valley Pet Project is an organization worth supporting. Stop by The Dancing Cat when you want to relax with a feline. A bit of time volunteering or supporting their fundraising efforts can also go a long way to helping save our pets. When you are ready to sell your home, my team and I are ready to help you through the entire process. Our goal is to make your experience both easy and pleasurable. Contact us today at (925) 634-7820, or by email at realestate@cecily.com.