SCERS recognizes the tireless and dedicated employees of the Sacramento County Bradshaw Animal Shelter. The Shelter team consists of 67 County government employees and a host of volunteers, working every day of the year to care for stray and injured animals. To Shelter employees, it’s more than just a job — it’s a labor of love.

“I am constantly inspired by staff with their remarkable skills, talent and innovation to fuel the mutual efforts to save lives,” said Shelter Director Annette Bedsworth.

During one recent visit to the bustling shelter, employees could be seen assisting visitors, training volunteers, playing with dogs, cleaning kennels, providing wellness checks, tending to cats recovering from surgeries, preparing to feed the barn animals, and communicating with each other using walkie-talkies. “Things are never boring, and every day we leave with new stories, experiences, and knowledge,” said Animal Care Attendant Ashley Bolton.

Volunteer Coordinator Celeste Ingrid, a longtime Shelter employee, described it as “a great place to work because of its collective compassion,” a quality that also requires dedication and many helping hands from the time animals first come through the door until they reunite with their owners or find new homes with foster or forever families.

At any given time, the large and welcoming facility at 3839 Bradshaw Road is home to 200-400 animals, and sheltering them is only one of many services the staff provides. The primary focus is pet adoptions; however, running the operation also involves microchipping and vaccinating strays, responding to 311 calls to rescue injured, abused, or neglected animals, providing outreach and education, and treating sick or injured animals in the on-site hospital staffed with three full-time veterinarians.

“If an animal comes in and needs surgery, we perform it. The animals get better and then get adopted,” Shelter Veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Price said. The staff provides free spaying and neutering services with adoptions and encourages pet owners to spay and neuter for the prevention of unwanted litters and impacted shelters. Dr. Price encouraged one more thing: “Microchip your pet.” It’s the fastest ticket home for lost pets.

The Shelter should be at the top of anyone’s list of where to go if your pet is lost or if you’re looking to adopt or foster an animal. Shelter staff are happy to give tours and help determine if specific animals and prospective owners are good matches, depending on the animal’s needs and the lifestyle and living situation of the people involved. “When coming to adopt an animal, it’s important to be open-minded. Sometimes the animal you fall in love with online isn’t the right fit,” Animal Care Officer Jessica Solano said.

Many considerations are necessary when it comes to adopting a pet. For instance, is everyone in your household in agreement on having a pet? Since owning a pet is a lifelong commitment, are family or friends willing and able to care for your pet if you no longer can? How much time do you have to spend with a pet? Are you patiently prepared to lovingly train, feed, and walk a pet? Are you financially prepared for the costs involved in pet ownership?

Unexpected events can also create challenges. “January is usually downtime here, but this year we had a 40% increase in intake due to flooding, which especially affected unhoused individuals and their pets,” said Director Bedsworth. It’s easy to feel the collective compassion here. Currently the Shelter is housing a large number of cats, with many more fostered off-site.

Fostering and volunteering at the Shelter are two ways anyone who may not be prepared to adopt can still support the staff and the animals. Volunteers can walk dogs, socialize with cats, provide clerical assistance, greet visitors, do laundry, feed animals, and help the Bradshaw Animal Assistance Team (BAAT) provide free animal care services to low-income residents of Sacramento County. They can also simply give the animals love and attention, especially around holidays that involve stress-inducing fireworks.

July 4th is the busiest time of year at the Shelter, when many lost dogs come in, along with kittens due to cat breeding season. However, the holiday also brings in the most volunteers. Director Bedsworth is amazed at the dedication they bring.

“We get lines of people outside waiting to pet the animals, sing to them, or read books to them,” she said. “The volunteers on July 4th are an example of why this is the best place to work; plus the fact that we’re saving lives every day.”

For more information, visit animalcare.saccounty.gov or call (916) 368-7387. For BAAT details, call (916) 875-BAAT.