The Humane Society of the North Bay
By Nate Gartrell
The Humane Society of the North Bay has one of the toughest missions around, to house and care for the thousands of animals per year that are found wandering the streets of Vallejo and surrounding areas. As one might expect, this task can be very costly. Being a registered nonprofit, the humane society has limited means of acquiring funds, and a limited staff as well due to financial constraints, so the humane society relies heavily on volunteers and donors to keep the lights on and the cats and dogs socialized and healthy.
One fundraiser that stands out above the rest comes from the humane society’s neighbors, the Meyer Corporation. Owned by a company in Hong Kong, Meyer is the country’s largest distributor of kitchen utensils in the country. But each year (typically in late November and early December) Meyer’s Vallejo warehouse opens its doors for a limited time to give locals access to top-notch cookware for sale prices.
“It’s a huge deal for the community because they get these great bargains on well-known brands and normally expensive products,” said Kristen Eddy, who sits on the board of directors of the humane society. “For two weeks they draw in these huge crowds. There’s a line out the door every day.”
At the same time, the company has found a way to turn the sale into a charity event to benefit the shelter, encouraging shoppers to give donations at the checkout stand and pledging to match each of those donations, dollar for dollar, up to $15,000.
“It’s just wonderful for us to have this support from the community,” Kristen said. “[The Meyer Corporation] could pick any charity in the area … the fact that they pick us … it’s incredible and really an honor for us.”
This year, the sale will begin on Nov. 29th and last through Dec. 10th. The annual event is now going on 22 years and Kristen said that every year Meyer has solicited donations, the Vallejo community responds with at least $15,000 in gifts, which is automatically doubled thanks to the company’s contribution. And anyone who has worked or volunteered at an animal shelter will tell you: every dollar makes a difference. In a typical year, the humane society finds homes for around 1,500 animals.
“Everything we get goes into shelter operations,” Kristen said. “We’re not a city municipal shelter, we work on the thinnest of shoestrings, and our community is not one of the wealthier shelters you see in certain parts of the Bay Area. But even so, we find that there are people who donate, even if it’s just a dollar, and we love that.”
All told, the sale has brought in $300,000 over the years between Meyer’s contributions and donations from the community, Kristen said. “We always have tons of plans for services we’d like to offer but everything is hampered by financial restrictions. Donations are just so important. They’re our lifeblood.”
Like many who sit on the humane society’s board of directors, Kristen—the board president until her term ended last June—started off simply doing volunteer work at the shelter, which she continues to do today. She said most of the shelter’s day-to-day expenses come from medical costs, from spay/neuter services to healing injuries. As any longtime volunteer will tell you, work at a shelter and you will witness sad stories as well as happy ones.
“Sometimes there are just extraordinary medical bills,” Kristen said. “We work with some great veterinarians in Vallejo but if a dog comes in with a broken leg or jaw, or a cat has been badly injured, it is our mission to take care of them in a humane way so they’re not suffering and get the treatment they need.”
However, other looming costs are on the horizon: the City of Vallejo—which owns the land where the shelter sits—has recently given the humane society two years to pack their bags and find a new home. Kristen said city staff are helping to find a new location but knowing a (likely expensive) move is on the horizon has tightened the shelter’s purse strings even more.
“All shelters go through this, but we work on such a reduced budget that all these decisions are really significant and have an impact,” Kristen said. “A large donation like that, from Meyer, makes an enormous difference in our ability to shelter these animals every year.”
In case you were wondering, the humane society is looking at other spots in Vallejo and will more than likely stick around town, Kristen said. “We’ve been here since 1986, and we’re not planning to march off somewhere else.”
If you’re interested in stopping by this year’s sale at the Meyer Corporation, it is located at Meyer Plaza, near the intersection of Curtola Parkway and Napa Street in Vallejo. The sale goes from Nov. 29th to Dec. 10th, and all 200 local Meyer employees will be there to participate—it’s an all-hands-on-deck event.
If you’re not able to make it, but still want to contribute in some way, the shelter is always looking for help, so feel free to drop by and sign up for volunteer orientation and training. The humane society also accepts monetary donations and other gifts year-round.
“There is 100-percent reward from doing this kind of work, every person who comes in here, even if they’re in a bad mood, is going to leave in a good mood. They’ve done something to help an animal,” Kristen said. “We just thank the community for supporting us. We do our best and make the best use of their donations as we possibly can. The community keeps us going and we love that.”
If you’re interested in volunteering, adopting a pet, getting your cat or dog spayed or neutered, or dropping off a stray animal, the Humane Society of the North Bay is located at 1121 Sonoma Boulevard in Vallejo. You can also reach them at (707) 645-7905 or by visiting www.hsnb.org. The humane society is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
