Every week, a white vehicle with Humane Society Silicon Valley’s (HSSV) logo pulls into the parking lot of a crowded municipal shelter. For the animals inside—dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens—the ride marks the start of a new chapter. This is HSSV’s Regional Rescue Program in action: a lifeline for overwhelmed shelters and a second chance for animals to find a loving home.

Through the Sue and John Diekman Regional Rescue Program, HSSV has been transferring animals from crowded shelters to its Milpitas campus and foster network for over a decade. What started as a small, local effort has expanded to include 20 shelter partners across the state. And in 2025 alone, HSSV has already transferred in more than 1,200 animals from 13 Bay Area shelters and organizations.

But behind every number is a larger story—one of partnership, shared responsibility, and a collective commitment to ensuring no animal is left behind.

Strengthening the Bay Area’s Safety Net for Pets

While Silicon Valley is known globally for innovation, its animal shelters are no exception to the struggles seen nationwide. Overcrowding, understaffing, budget shortfalls, economic pressures on pet owners, and a lack of affordable veterinary care have created a perfect storm. Families surrender beloved pets because they can’t afford rent or vet bills. Many municipal shelters are left operating far beyond their intended capacity.

That’s where our Regional Rescue Program steps in.

“Years ago, we set an ambitious goal to save every healthy animal entering Santa Clara County shelters,” said Kristen Jahnke, HSSV’s Vice President of Operations. “Through forming the WeCARE alliance, we achieved that milestone in 2011 and we’re proud almost 15 years later to continue that commitment in our county.”

Collaboration That Saves Lives Across the Bay Area

Since January, HSSV’s Rescue Program has transferred in more than 1,200 animals from the Bay Area including 835 kittens, 182 cats, 154 puppies, and 75 dogs. Each transfer eases pressure on a crowded shelter and gives another animal a second chance.

At San José Animal Care and Services, the partnership’s impact is deeply felt. As the largest intake shelter in Northern California, SJACS prioritizes accepting sick and injured animals—ensuring they get the care they need. The shelter has been accepting 260 animals on average per week since July 1, 2025.

“This partnership provides our team with valuable support and helps make us feel a little less alone in the challenges we face daily,” said Kiska Icard, Shelter Division Manager for San José Animal Care and Services. “It strengthens our capacity to serve the pets in need in our community and enhances the impact of our work.”

Since July 2025 alone, HSSV has accepted more than 325 animals from their care, including 105 dogs and 223 cats.

Icard recalls a recent rescue where three six-week-old puppies were brought in by a good Samaritan after being found abandoned in a box. “We’re so grateful HSSV was able to take them in and provide the medical care and training support they needed to thrive,” she said. “For us, collaborations like this don’t just change the lives of those puppies—they open space for the next animal in need.”

At Santa Clara County Animal Services, Monique Rodriguez says the impact is equally immediate. “Partnering with HSSV’s Rescue Program has been invaluable to our shelter,” she explained. “When animals are transferred, it helps ease overcrowding and allows us to intake newly found animals who need immediate care. This partnership means everything to our team. It brings us comfort and joy knowing that our animals are going to a partner equally committed to their well-being.”

Across the Bay in Contra Costa County, the situation is just as urgent. Their shelter is designed for 114 dogs but regularly houses more than 140. For Alex Aldana of Contra Costa Animal Services, the relief Regional Rescue provides can’t be overstated. “Regional Rescue represents hope,” he said. “For our staff and volunteers, knowing that HSSV can step in during moments of crisis feels like reaching solid ground after swimming against the current nonstop.”

Beyond daily care, Contra Costa juggles field services, cruelty investigations, and community cat spay/neuter programs—yet space remains the critical constraint. “Every kennel we open through transfer means a safe place for the next stray,” Aldana shared. “This kind of collaboration expands what’s possible. By combining the unique strengths of municipal shelters and nonprofits, we’re able to better serve both the animals and the community that depends on us.”

Together, these partnerships highlight how Regional Rescue multiplies impact—creating space, saving lives, and bolstering communities across the Bay Area.

Driving Change

None of this lifesaving work would be possible without vehicles, the ones that carry animals from one shelter to another. That’s where Stevens Creek Toyota stepped in, donating vehicles that have literally put wheels under HSSV’s mission.

“When we saw the incredible work HSSV was doing, we knew we had to get involved,” explained Ray Khandan, General Manager for Stevens Creek Toyota. “Donating vehicles felt like a meaningful way to directly support their lifesaving mission. These vehicles are a lifeline, literally. They transport animals to safety, to medical care, or to adoption events where they’ll meet their families.”

But for Stevens Creek Toyota, the partnership goes deeper than a corporate gift. It’s about demonstrating that local businesses can play a vital role in the community’s well-being. “When people see our name on a Regional Rescue vehicle, we hope it sends a clear message: we stand with animals and the people who dedicate their lives to saving them,” Khandan added.

For every vehicle that pulls away from a crowded shelter, there’s a reminder that collaboration comes in many forms—sometimes it looks like staff and volunteers, sometimes like foster parents, and sometimes like a set of keys handed over with the promise of impact.

The Stories That Stay With Us

Impact numbers tell us how far the program reaches, but the heart of the program lives in the animals themselves.

HSSV’s Rescue & Animal Movement Manager, Jessica “JZ”, still carries with her the memory of Beret, a senior cat who arrived with a catastrophic head wound. “I didn’t think she’d survive,” JZ admitted. “But she greeted us with head-butts and love. She pulled through after months in my foster care.”

Years later, another cat—this time a kitten named Top Hat—came in with a nearly identical injury. Because of Beret, JZ knew he had a chance. “Within three weeks, he was cleared for adoption. Those two remind me why I do this. It’s about believing in animals when others might not and watching them transform.”

For JZ, those transformations are what define Regional Rescue. “The Regional Rescue Program symbolizes a lifeline, a new beginning. It’s about creating ripple effects of change, standing with our neighbors, and ensuring animals have a brighter future.”

Carrying Hope Forward

The challenges facing Bay Area shelters are real: economic instability, housing insecurity, and veterinary shortages continue to drive surrenders and strain resources. Yet Regional Rescue proves that collaboration changes the outcome.

As Monique Rodriguez put it, “It takes a lot of coordination, dedication, and compassion. With our two agencies working together there are many happy endings and adoptions made possible because of our teamwork.”

Alex Aldana echoed the same truth, “When we work together, we expand what’s possible.”

Kiska Icard from San José Animal Care and Services agreed, emphasizing that the ripple effect of each rescue extends far beyond one shelter. “Every time an animal leaves our shelter through this partnership, it represents more than one life saved,” she said. “It means another space opened, another chance created, and another reminder that we’re not in this alone.”

That shared perspective is what defines Regional Rescue—partnerships that create space, save lives, and give thousands of animals each year a second chance.