Pets In Need

Business Details

50+ Years

experience

Your Trusted No-Kill Animal Shelter in Northern California

Pets In Need has been dedicated to rescuing and rehoming homeless pets since 1965, operating as Northern California's first no-kill animal shelter. Our mission centers on providing compassionate care for animals and affordable veterinary services for families, ensuring pets remain safely in their forever homes. With facilities in Redwood City and Palo Alto, we specialize in transferring animals from overcrowded shelters, offering comprehensive adoption programs, low-cost medical care, and community outreach initiatives.

Our organization prides itself on maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare through positive reinforcement training, medical excellence, and collaborative partnerships with local communities. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely entirely on donations, adoption fees, and volunteer support to sustain our life-saving operations.

Services

Pet Adoption Veterinary Clinic Foster Program Low-Cost Vaccines Pet Food Pantry Animal Control Dog Licensing Lost Pet Services Financial Grants Volunteer Opportunities

Details

Year established: 1965

Highlights and features

We have over 55 years of experience in animal rescue and adoption services
Our shelters provide affordable veterinary care through low-cost clinics
We operate Northern California's first no-kill animal shelter network
Our positive reinforcement training improves adoptability of shelter animals
We offer comprehensive community programs including pet food pantries and financial grants

Associations and certifications

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Website

Update Listing

Services

Pet Adoption

Our adoption program connects homeless pets with loving families through comprehensive matching processes. We offer counseling, medical history reviews, and 3-day foster-to-adopt trials. The program includes post-adoption support and resources for new pet owners.

Community Veterinary Clinic

Affordable wellness care includes exams, vaccinations, parasite prevention, and basic diagnostics. Our clinic focuses on preventative care to maintain pet health while reducing financial barriers for pet owners in the Bay Area.

Foster Program

Temporary home placements for animals needing special care or socialization. Foster families receive training, supplies, and medical support while preparing pets for permanent adoption through our network.

Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic

Preventative care services offering essential vaccines at reduced prices. The clinic serves both shelter animals and community pets, focusing on rabies, distemper, and parasite control to maintain public and animal health.

Pet Food Pantry

Emergency food assistance program for pet owners facing financial hardship. We distribute donated pet food and supplies to help families keep their pets during difficult times, preventing shelter surrenders.

Questions

What are your adoption hours?

Our Redwood City location is open for adoptions Thursday-Saturday 12:30-6pm. Palo Alto shelter is open daily 12:30-6pm.

Do you offer emergency veterinary care?

Our Community Veterinary Clinic provides wellness care only. For emergencies, please contact your regular veterinarian or local emergency clinic.

How can I help if I can't adopt?

We welcome volunteers, foster families, and donations. You can also support our mission through supply donations, fundraising, or participating in our events.

Are donations tax-deductible?

Yes, Pets In Need is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Do you accept pet supply donations?

Yes, we accept donations of unopened pet food, toys, and supplies. Visit our website for current wish lists and donation drop-off locations.

What areas do you serve?

We primarily serve Northern California with shelter locations in Redwood City and Palo Alto, providing services to both urban and surrounding communities.

Reviews (7)

Write a Review

Daria S.

Feb 25, 2022 Report

My husband and me have been looking for a kitten for awhile. We decided to adopt one and i've been checking the petsinneed.com almost everyday. They had made a schedule for a cute kitten and two days later they called me and said " someone already adopted the kitten". I said okay, i kept looking for a kitten. Then i saw another kitten on their website, they made an appointment for me and guess what?

The other day they said "the kitten is already adopted". So, this happened 4 TIMES! Whenever i wanted to see a kitten, they dont let me see them because the kittens are already adopted. So, why do you make an appointment then? That's ridiculous! I would never go to the website again cause obviously these people are very good to make people excited first and then disappointed!

Marco C.

Dec 18, 2021 Report

Wish we could give 0 stars. 7 Puppies died from their inability to correctly care for animals during transport. all avoidable mistakes but these folks decided to take shortcuts. the puppies traveled over 100 miles, crammed into a crate meant for one 40 pound dog, with no water or proper ventilation. in a van with countless other dogs suffering the same fate. they should all experience every single second of what those puppies experienced

M. Lly M.

Dec 14, 2021 Report

I wish to update that Pets in need did reach out to me regarding the card charges. I believe that I resolved it with my card Company before this, however, it is nice to know that they are concerned and willing to follow up. What i really need is a spay surgery for my 2 female cattins. At 8 months old and never into heat, they are Cattins. I will call them again. I desperately need their help.

Jesse E.

Oct 27, 2021 Report

Got my cat from here last year and I really liked this place. Sad to see in the news today that 3 of their drivers let 7 lab/pit puppies die in the back of a van while driving through Central Valley while it was over 90 degrees out. I blame everyone from the top down for not vetting and training and supervising it's workers. Disgusting.

Nicole B.

Oct 13, 2021 Report

Rating them for their spay/neuter service. My husband and I rescued a litter of kittens at the end of July. There was no mama cat in the picture and we took them in when they were about 4 weeks old. (Bottle feeding them! Fun stuff). My husband and I kept two and the other 2 found a home with one of my coworkers. I searched several places trying to find affordable options to get them fixed. This was by far the cheapest option in the area. They release appointments on Monday morning on their website. I secured spots for my two kittens for an appointment a few weeks out. Service was great and cheap! Highly recommended.

Elissa J.

Jun 13, 2021 Report

As previously stated I did hire a professional trainer to give this opinion on the dog aggressive resource guarding, it is a major problem which your agency never addressed in the re-listing of this dog. Your reply implies that I am at fault, however this opinion is from a PROFESSIONAL dog trainer and my review is to let people know that the Palo Alto office does not know the dogs as well as advertised and that people need to be wary that your descriptions are not valid and that they should spend their money elsewhere to protect their family.

Ayesha S.

Nov 18, 2020 Report

Taking off one star because the initial lady who helped us seemed really short and irritated with my moms questions and her English speaking skills. Almost turned us off to the whole process. Everyone else I spoke to and interacted with was amazing and we got to adopt a beautiful girl easy process and turn around time.