After five years at the Bayfair Center in San Leandro, an animal adoption group that specialized in finding homes for “imperfect” dogs and cats has just three weeks to find new headquarters.
Rick Hollander, executive director of Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs & Cats, says the group is being shown the door to make way for new development on the site. It has until Sept. 9 to vacate the space, and volunteers now are scrambling to get things packed up, find foster homes for the pets they have and find new headquarters.
A portion of Bayfair Center, one of the first malls constructed in the East Bay, was sold in June to a group of developers.
Nobody’s Perfekt is a unique rescue group. It’s not a shelter, and it doesn’t accept pets from individuals. Instead, it is a “rescue of last resort,” taking dogs and cats — from shelters — that are considered difficult if not impossible to find homes for because of physical and emotional challenges. These pets are one step from euthanasia when Nobody’s Perfekt steps in.
According to the group’s mission statement, it seeks to find homes for pets “where ‘imperfection’ is tolerated in exchange for a lifetime of love and devotion. Some of the animals have physical challenges such as missing or crippled limbs, or have medical problems that require more care than perhaps the average person is willing to accept.
Others are simply older pets or ones that are traumatized by being removed from their home and placed in a shelter with dozens of other animals, leaving them to cower when a prospective adoptive family comes by. The descriptions of the available pets for adoption are brutally honest, explaining the animal’s background and issues.
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Rudy Gomez, left, and his girlfriend Gabby Garcia, both of San Leandro, interact with one of the dogs for adoption at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Paul Butler, a dog foster of Castro Valley, tries to call attention from Buddy, a blind dog waiting to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: View of Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the adoption center is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Gracey, a two month-old kitty, is waiting to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Gabby Garcia, left, leaves a donation after a visit with her boyfriend Rudy Gomez, both of San Leandro, at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Ivan Gomez, 8, left, his mother Vanessa Gomez a cat foster of San Leandro, along with volunteer Chandler Mcewen interact with two and four month old kitties Gracey and Anya who are waiting to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Llew, who used to drag its back legs and now walks after receiving physical therapy and love from its dog foster, Karen Link, of Oakland, is ready for adoption at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Gracey, a two month-old kitty, is waiting to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Mary Lou who suffered animal cruelty, drags her back legs as she waits to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Llew, who used to drag its back legs and now walks after receiving physical therapy and love from its dog foster, Karen Link, of Oakland, is ready for adoption at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Snoopy is available for adoption at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the group is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Rescue dogs wait to be adopted at Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs and Cats adoption center located inside Bayfair Center in San Leandro, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The rescue center specializes in dogs and cats that are “imperfect” and not easy to find homes because some are disabled, some traumatized, and some just plain old. After 5 years at the Bayfair Center, the adoption center is being forced to move in 3 weeks to make way for a housing project. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Nobody’s Perfekt has used its Bayfair Center headquarters as a storefront to showcase some of these pets and as a quiet, calm place for people to get to know the pets.
In looking for new space, the group is seeking a place that is 5,000 to 6,000 square feet with onsite parking. The group needs ample space for the pets where they can be safely socialized. It also needs space for a pet boutique, storage area and a visitors center where the public can visit with available dogs and cats.
“We are putting out a call for a property owner who can provide a generous donation of the use of a property for our rescue,” Hollander says.
The group is looking for a space between Hayward and Oakland, ideally San Leandro, San Lorenzo or Castro Valley.
Nobody’s Perfekt is operated entirely by volunteers and relies on community support. It also is looking for volunteers who can help pack up the storefront, as well as add more foster homes for the dogs and cats.
Donations to the relocation fund and other offers of help can be made through the organization’s website, www.nobodysperfektdogs.org.
