Berkeley Humane’s new thrift shop benefits shelter animals in need of medical care

Berkeley Humane, the animal rescue founded in 1895, has opened its second “boutique-style” thrift shop on Ashby Avenue near College Avenue. The store, like its sister shop on Solano Avenue in Albany, benefits Berkeley Humane’s Hope Medical Fund, which provides medical services to shelter animals. 

Berkeley Humane opened its first thrift shop during the pandemic as a way to diversify its revenue and to give volunteers other ways to engage with the rescue, according to the organization’s executive director, Jeffrey Zerwekh. And the new Elmwood shop, which is entirely volunteer-run, is a way to tap into another population of volunteers.

“Berkeley Humane in general has hundreds of volunteers, and a lot of them are engaged in animal care, you know, walking dogs or cleaning litter boxes, but that’s not for everybody,” said Zerwekh. “So people who love animals can still support the mission by volunteering at the thrift stores.”

The shop, which opened on Nov. 1, is highly curated, according to Zerwekh, and carries new and vintage clothing, framed art, jewelry and home decor. The store also accepts donations of similar items.

“We don’t have any plastic, we don’t have any electronics, we don’t have any kids stuff,” said Zerwekh. “There’s just not enough square footage to have everything.”

Unlike the Solano Avenue store, the new location does not hold mobile pet adoptions. At least not yet. But it is something Zerwekh and his team hope to start doing in the future.

All proceeds from the shop help support the Hope Medical Fund, which provides specialized medical care to shelter animals.

“Public shelters usually aren’t funded for anything but the basics,” said Zerwekh. “So they’re really good about vaccinations and maybe even spay and neuter surgeries.” But more complicated surgeries — such as a recent “double enucleation” of a cat who had an eye infection so severe that both eyes had to be removed — are beyond what most public shelters can offer. 

“And luckily we live in an area where people will adopt a blind cat or a three-legged dog,” said Zerwekh. “And that makes it all possible, right? As long as the community keeps adopting these really special animals, we’ll be able to keep saving them.”

Thrift Shop Berkeley Humane, 2644 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. Phone: 510-647-9445. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Connect via Facebook and Instagram.