Adoptions resume at newly renovated Point Richmond animal shelter
on October 16, 2026
After six weeks of renovations, Milo Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter in Point Richmond, has reopened.
“The floor is all new,” said Lynne Tingle, the foundation’s founder. “We had to have every animal, everything out. We had to take all of our old kennels out, every piece of furniture, anything that was touching the ground.”
Milo Foundation has been in Point Richmond since 2013. The shelter replaced its floor and kennels, which had been in use for more than a decade.
“You know, dogs are tough on stuff,” Tingle said. The renovation cost around $450,000, and the foundation still needs to raise $45,000 for further improvements.
(Photos by Shao-Chen Hsu)
The shelter’s first day back, Oct. 10, brought good news. A family from Mill Valley came to adopt a dog, and their son immediately fell in love with one of the puppies. By the end of the day, six dogs and one cat had found new homes.
Funding is important, but having enough staff and volunteers is just as crucial. Julie Souillot and Ash Isaacs, both 11, have been volunteering at Milo Foundation for about one year and a half.
Ash said volunteering is fulfilling because she can spend time with the puppies and help get things done.
“I think that it’s the best place ever,” Julie said. “It’s just calming, and, like, there’s animals, so what’s not to like?”
During the volunteering, she adopted a Pekingese with only one eye after fostering him for a month. She hopes to work at the shelter when she grows up.
But not every animal is lucky enough to find a home. A dog and her puppy had been picked up on the Oakland freeway as strays and brought to the shelter a couple of days earlier. Just one day before the shelter reopened, two poodle-mix puppies were spotted running in the road before being rescued and brought to Milo Foundation.
“Almost every day, we have animals brought through our door,” Tingle said. “And also, we come to work in the morning and there’s a box of puppies or kittens.”
Most of the animals come from shelters in the Central Valley, including Merced and Fresno, where animals may be euthanized because of overcrowding. Others are strays found in Richmond.
Animal shelters have long been struggling with overcrowding. According to Tingle, the problem has worsened since the pandemic, and the past year and a half has been the worst period she has seen.
Milo Foundation can accommodate 75 dogs and 50 cats. Among the dogs needing homes, large male dogs are particularly difficult to place.
Although rising costs and an influx of animals have created major challenges for no-kill animal shelters, there are ways people can help.
“If you can’t have a dog, but you want to help, consider fostering,” Tingle said. “And then if you want to help save a life that would otherwise be killed, consider adopting a larger dog. But no matter what, just think about adopting a dog.”
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