Rent safe and private dog parks hosted by locals

David Adams

March 19, 2025

Dog Rescues & Shelters

ShepHeroes

#67 in United States, #11 in California, #1 in Sacramento
#4 in german Shepherd

https://shepheroes.org

info@shepheroes.org

Service areas:

We partner with 24 animal control agencies, seven rescues, and several veterinarians who reach out for placement throughout Northern and Central California, supporting at-risk German Shepherd Dogs. We limit our adoptions to Northern California based on volunteer resources. We are generally focused on the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo, and, on a limited basis, the Ft. Bragg area of Mendocino County and the Lake Tahoe region of Washoe County, NV.

Powered by volunteers and funded by donors, we rely on many heroes to help deserving abandoned German Shepherd Dogs; in return, these shepherds provide unconditional love to the families adopting them. The goal of ShepHeroes is lifelong placement; we take pride in finding the ideal lifelong match possible for dogs and humans alike by placing all of our dogs in foster homes to allow them to decompress and for us to learn their personalities, temperament, and needs. When committed foster homes are available for long-term care of medical dogs, we prioritize assisting those shepherds as they are the most at risk in shelters. Bean, Hayzel, Shania, Tori, and Stewie joined us in the past year for extensive surgeries and lengthy recoveries. Bean arrived with a chunk of her lip missing and will have surgery to repair her maxillofacial trauma when her muzzle reaches the adult stage at seven to eight months of age. In Shania's case, her fracture exam revealed a severe heart defect that, untreated, would have caused heart failure, which was repaired with heart surgery to give her a whole, healthy life. Shania was with us for seven months through three surgeries. Tori, in addition to her fracture repair, had an eye enucleation. Also, in 2023, Abbott and Costello were treated for parvo and survived thanks to prompt medical care. Multiple dogs have recovered in our care from surgeries for ingesting foreign objects like socks and balls before coming to our rescue. We have treated ear and severe skin infections, mange, influenza, and kennel cough, reduced many hernias, altered cryptoid male dogs, treated heartworm-positive shepherds, and ensured emaciated ones received care to reach optimum weight for their age. And have provided routine ongoing veterinary care of vaccinations, heartworm, flea/tick preventatives, spay and neuters, and deworming for over 340 shepherds since 2018. One of our special pups, Kenzo, came to us at the behest of his ER vet. Found on the street hit by a car, Kenzo was rushed by a good Samaritan to the local ER. He suffered from a brain injury, fractured leg, and bodily trauma, initially unable to walk, hold his head up, and possibly blind. With the guidance of his neurology vet, we gave him supportive care, trusting that puppy brains can heal. His brain healed with a residual head tilt, giving us a sweet, loving, active pup thriving in his adoptive home. We also assisted many shy and frightened shepherds who needed to learn to trust people, become at ease in new environments, and learn good pack manners thanks to resident dogs of our foster homes. Two of our dogs have become working dogs, completing service dog training and supporting their owners as hearing and seizure-alert dogs. A few of our dogs have completed therapy dog training and provide comfort through various venues. Since inception, we have assisted 24 municipal animal control shelters and partnered with seven rescues to bring shepherds to safety from the Sacramento Region south to Monterey County and north to Butte County. ShepHeroes was established in May 2018; our volunteer board and management team's experience saving shepherds encompasses over a decade of dedication to the breed.

Mission and Vision

A team of NorCal German Shepherd lovers helping abandoned German Shepherds reach safety and forever homes throughout the Bay Area to the Sacramento region and beyond.

Specialization

German Shepherd

Adoption Policy

Lifelong placement is our goal! Our German Shepherds are spayed or neutered and microchipped, heartworm tested and treated if positive, have core vaccinations, and are treated with flea and tick prevention. To ensure every match succeeds, we ask you to complete our adoption questionnaire and join our adoption counselors in finding your lifelong best friend.

https://shepheroes.org/adopt

Testimonials

See all testimonials

"Teddy and I found each other 5 1/2 years ago, through the help of ShepHeroes, and he is truly my heart. I honestly can’t imagine my life without him in it."

— ann b.

Adoptee

"Shep Heroes goes above and beyond to save GSDs, responsive, adaptable, super caring, finds a way to help a dog even when stretched to the limit. great group to work with, so proud of the team!"

— ginny h.

Volunteer / foster

"We’ve adopted 2 beautiful dogs from Shepheros and they are both so came well adjusted, trained, all shots/surgeries as part of our adoption process and we are fully supported with anything we need from them! Such a fun group too!"

— michelle m.

Adoptee

"They rescued my sweet boy and then he rescued us."

— cecilia v.

Adoptee

"The founder is so committed to providing quality care to her rescues. I’ve been impressed with the number of medical foster dogs the group has saved for a small organization."

— christine w.

Adoptee, Supporter, Fan

"Hello. We have adopted 2 German Shepherds with ShepHero’s! Our dogs are 2 years old and 9 months old. We have been so happy with our process with the rescue that I became a foster with them as well. I love coming to the events and bringing our pups. I love if I wear a ShepHero’s shirt out around town I have other fellow adoptee’s come up to me and tell me about their journey and share photos of their pups."

— allie g.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster

"We foster failed and adopted a dog from shepheroes who was very well behaved and also had a great temperament. The people who volunteer for this dog rescue take a lot of care with their rescue dogs, and treat them like their own. They analyze each potential doggy’s personalities before rescuing them to make sure they are sound dogs, and will even rescue dogs with medical problems. We had such a great experience that we still foster for them!"

— jen c.

Adoptee

"Amazing work with German Shepard!"

— teri o.

Fan

"As a long-time fan, supporter, volunteer, foster mama and adopter of ShepHeroes dog rescue, I can confidently attest to the incredible work they do for shepherds and shepherd mixes in need. The dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to providing a safe haven for abandoned and neglected dogs that flood our animal shelters throughout Northern California is truly remarkable. As a volunteer foster mom for ShepHeroes, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the positive impact the organization has made in the lives of countless dogs. The volunteers at ShepHeroes go above and beyond to ensure that each dog receives the love, care, and medical attention they need to thrive. Foster homes provide a nurturing environment, allowing the dogs to heal both physically and emotionally. Providing a safe space, time to decompress, heal, and trust again is essential to the transformation of these dogs. It is heartwarming to watch their personalities shine through with playful joy, kisses, and silly shenanigans. Each dog's journey is unique, but the love and care they receive from ShepHeroes volunteers make all the difference. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing organization and will continue to say yes every time to watch each dog blossom under the care of ShepHeroes."

— jackie t.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster, Supporter, Fan

"Excellent rescue group!!"

— andrea c.

Adoptee

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David Adams

March 19, 2025

Dog Rescues & Shelters

David Adams

About the author

David Adams is a man of many passions, but his love for dogs stands above all. He is not only a dog lover, but also the founder of an innovative platform called Sniffspot. This unique platform connects dog owners with private property owners who are willing to rent out their space for off-leash playtime. While the idea of Sniffspot was initially conceived by his wife, Rebecca, David has been the driving force behind its remarkable success, tirelessly overseeing its growth and development. David's dedication to providing safe and enjoyable spaces for dogs to play, explore, and socialize is evident in his unwavering commitment to Sniffspot. He strongly believes that dogs need ample space and opportunities to stretch their legs and have fun. As a result, he has worked tirelessly to build a network of private property owners across the country who share his vision and are willing to offer their space for the benefit of dogs and their owners. Despite his busy schedule, David always finds time to indulge in his passion for the great outdoors. He loves nothing more than exploring new hiking trails and embarking on thrilling outdoor adventures. Whenever he is not working on Sniffspot, he can often be found hiking or visiting multi-acre fenced sniffspots with his two beloved dogs, Soba and Toshii. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the fresh air, breathtaking scenery, and the sense of freedom that comes with being in nature. David is based in Salem, MA.

All testimonials

"Teddy and I found each other 5 1/2 years ago, through the help of ShepHeroes, and he is truly my heart. I honestly can’t imagine my life without him in it."

— ann b.

Adoptee

"Shep Heroes goes above and beyond to save GSDs, responsive, adaptable, super caring, finds a way to help a dog even when stretched to the limit. great group to work with, so proud of the team!"

— ginny h.

Volunteer / foster

— michelle m.

Adoptee

"They rescued my sweet boy and then he rescued us."

— cecilia v.

Adoptee

"The founder is so committed to providing quality care to her rescues. I’ve been impressed with the number of medical foster dogs the group has saved for a small organization."

— christine w.

Adoptee, Supporter, Fan

— allie g.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster

— jen c.

Adoptee

"Amazing work with German Shepard!"

— teri o.

Fan

— jackie t.

Adoptee, Volunteer / foster, Supporter, Fan

"Excellent rescue group!!"

— andrea c.

Adoptee

About Sniffspot

Sniffspot is a community marketplace that enables anyone to rent land by-the-hour as a safe and private dog park.

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Sniffspot provides the best experiences and fun for you and your dog. Our dog parks are designed for the ultimate dog exercise. Our private spaces help you minimize distractions or triggers and maximize time with your dog. We provide off leash enrichment - exploration and activities you can't get anywhere else; wear your dog out for days. We make it easy to have playdates. Socialize your pup in a controlled, private spot - it's great exercise and it's fun for you and your dog.

ShepHeroes

Mission and Vision

Specialization

Adoption Policy

Testimonials

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