March 2025 – By Shira Steinbeck, Creator of the Website, The Village Bark 

The Village Bark isn’t just an idea; it’s a heartfelt response to a pressing need. We created this platform to amplify the voices of dogs facing dire circumstances, who truly deserve a second chance at a loving home. We witnessed a crisis unfolding in California shelters, especially in our Bay Area, and we knew we had to act.

The Statistics:

The statistics are staggering. California ranks as the nation’s number one state for both shelter euthanasia and homeless animals. Shockingly, over 100,000 dogs are euthanized in our state’s shelters every year. To bring this closer to home, let’s look at Contra Costa County Animal Services (CCAS) in Martinez. In 2024, they took in 3,276 dogs. While 1,370 found adoptive homes and 926 were returned to their owners, a heartbreaking 314 were euthanized. Shockingly, over 25% of dogs were transferred to rescue groups. And more alarmingly, the 2025 euthanasia rate is trending towards a 20% increase.

This reveals a system heavily reliant on already strained rescue groups and foster-based organizations. You can review the full report HERE: 

Over 10% of the dogs entering CCAS face euthanasia, often healthy and adoptable, simply due to lack of space and resources. It’s a complex situation, one where a taxpayer-funded entity like CCAS relies heavily on underfunded, donation-based non-profits and rescue groups. Adding to the challenge, shelters often obscure the reality of euthanasia, using terms like “feature dog” or “transfer-preferred” rather than direct language, and they do not always communicate the dog’s urgent need for placement on social media. This can create a misleading “no-kill” perception.

The Response:

How does our community respond? Volunteers promote at-risk dogs’ stories, navigating bureaucracy. For years, dedicated individuals and advocates have leveraged social media and other events and donated their time to conduct in-person evaluations, addressing the shelter’s limited assessments and the severe kennel stress dogs endure. Even dogs lucky enough to participate in playgroups still face euthanasia if time runs out.

While tireless networking has led to some success in finding foster and forever homes, the shelter’s processes often force temporary adoptions, leaving adopters to find permanent homes. Similarly, “pulling” dogs via foster-based rescues can create instability. If a foster placement fails, the dog may face boarding or return to the shelter. Every week, the shelter sends private euthanasia lists to rescues, information withheld from the public. Volunteers strive to disseminate this vital information.

The urgency and precarious nature of these last-minute rescues highlighted the need for a central, accessible platform where volunteers and fosters/adopters could unite. 

The Need:

This led to the creation of The Village Bark, a website dedicated to the success and promotion of Community Dogs. We define a “Community Dog” as one who lost their home through no fault of their own, often rescued from euthanasia lists, and still longing for a loving family. We created The Village Bark to provide a public platform for Bay Area dogs, accessible without logins, 501c3 prerequisites, or paywalls. Volunteers work directly with shelters and rescues to increase exposure for these dogs, ensuring they find loving forever homes. As an organizationally agnostic org, we are not affiliated with any single rescue or shelter, but collaborate with many across the Bay Area. We believe every dog deserves a true second chance, and we’re here to make that happen.

The Dogs:

Now, here are some very deserving COMMUNITY DOGS looking for homes!