Berkeley Animal Shelter reopens Saturday, weeks after arson fire
"We are still not back to normal, and being open will look a little different than what we are used to," the city told volunteers Friday.
The Berkeley Animal Shelter will reopen to the public Saturday after a seven-week closure by an arson fire.
Starting Saturday morning, the shelter will be in "soft opening" mode, with adoptions and return-to-owner services back on track.
"While this is a big step forward, we are still not back to normal, and being open will look a little different than what we are used to," Mike St. Pierre, Berkeley's Animal Services manager, told volunteers Friday afternoon by email. "We are currently operating with significantly reduced usable space."
The space restrictions mean some services and access will remain reduced for the foreseeable future, pending permits and repairs.
Work is still underway in the lobby, lobby stairwell and second-floor landing, St. Pierre told volunteers. Cats remain unavailable for adoption.
The shelter is accepting stray, ill and injured animals, but owner surrenders are only partially back.
"We will accept animals if it is an unsafe situation for the animal or owner," he wrote. "We will also provide more field services, though staffing may impact this."
For now, the shelter will restrict the number of people — visitors and volunteers alike — who are inside the building at one time.
In his email, St. Pierre asked volunteers to limit their signups to one shift per day so more people can participate.
"Given the shelter's current state, we need to prioritize safety and avoid creating more challenges while we are still getting back on our feet," he wrote. "I am sorry that we can’t have more volunteers in to help the animals, but hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer."
Meanwhile, Peter Taraba, the suspect in last month's animal shelter fire, was released from custody in early July on $25,000 bail, according to court records.
He is scheduled for a jury trial Aug. 31.
The Berkeley Animal Shelter is located at 1 Bolivar Drive. The shelter is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the city website. See complete operating hours and donation information on the city website.
Connect with Berkeley Animal Care Services and Friends of Berkeley Animal Care Services on Instagram.
