Oakland Animal Shelter will be closed from 12-3pm fo Friday, March 27th for the funeral of the four Police Officers. We will reopen from 3-7pm on Friday.
The Oakland Animal Shelter would like to offer condolences to the friends and family of the Oakland Police Department Officers killed in Saturday’s tragic events. Our hearts go out to all members of OPD during this difficult time. We rely on these Officers to provide assistance and back up for our Animal Control Officers in the field.
As a member of the Oakland Police Department, Animal Control Officers have built strong relationships with Oakland Police Officers. We have witnessed the dedication with which OPD Officers serve the public’s interest and the interests of animals in the City of Oakland. Whether it is the extraordinary actions of the Police Officers responding to our last cockfighting call which led to the arrest of 69 people or the action of a single Police Officer responding to a call of an injured animal in the middle of the night, the dedication with which these Police Officers perform their duties is obvious.
Though responding to animal calls is a small, relatively unknown, responsibility of Police Officers in Oakland it is a duty they perform with compassion and a responsibility they take seriously. Countless times OPD Officers have transported injured dogs and cats to the emergency vet clinic in the middle of the night, brought them to the shelter for safe housing, and responded to and removed animals from cruel situations. They have issued countless citations for Failure to Provide Proper care to owners of neglected animals and have shown up in force to protect the safety of Animal Control Officers responding to animal calls.
The animals of Oakland and the citizens who care about them owe a debt of gratitude to the Oakland Police officers who provide these invaluable services.
Saturday’s tragic situation reminds us all of the dangers these Officers face everyday protecting human and animal life in Oakland. We, at Oakland Animal Services, offer our support to our fellow members of the Oakland Police Department and their families during this difficult time and would like to thank all of the Police Officers in Oakland for the job they do everyday. Oakland Police Officers have always shown up for us and for the animals of Oakland and we will never forget that.
We will be closing the Oakland Animal Shelter at 5PM Tuesday March 24th in honor of the slain Officers and so that our staff and volunteers can attend the vigil planned by City Hall.
