East Bay woman helps animals and families at San Pablo no-kill shelter
SAN PABLO -- An East Bay woman who took over a San Pablo animal shelter has dedicated her life to helping abandoned and abused animals in the Bay Area and beyond.
Julie Bainbridge tells KPIX a puppy she's caring for cannot walk, but the 5-week-old English bulldog named Don Juan still managed to captivate her heart.
"He's a feisty little guy. He can bite and chew like the best of 'em," she said, cradling the furry little bundle in a towel.
Bainbridge, a retired elevator builder, runs a no-kill animal shelter in San Pablo that she took over in 2017 when its owner passed away.
She named the shelter Jelly's Place after her late English bulldog. The nonprofit cares for dogs and cats that are abandoned, neglected, abused and injured.
"I feel like they deserve better. To see an animal struggling on the streets to find food or that's been hit by a car that has no other means of helping it, it's just heartbreaking," she said.
So Bainbridge steps in. She recently rescued more than a dozen dogs from a hoarding situation in San Bernardino County.
"The little Maltipoo there, the gnats were so wrapped around his legs it was cutting off the circulation," she pointed out.
In fact, Bainbridge says Jelly's Place took in more than 700 animals last year. All but a few were adopted or returned to their owners.
To help a growing number of families provide care for their pets, Julie and her staff of 15 run a free Thursday vaccination clinic. The nonprofit administered 200 doses for parvo, distemper and bordetella in 2022. This year, they've given 300 vaccinations in one month alone.
That kind of care means everything to volunteer and client Veronica Ramos and her son. Jelly's Place is caring for one of their dogs, Bo, a bloodhound who got dragged by a car and needs surgery to save his legs.
Ramos, a stroke survivor on a limited income, says Bainbridge's support is a game changer.
"There would be no way, no possible way, that I'd be able to keep any of my pets at all. Because [she helps with] not only vaccinations, she also helps with food," said Ramos.
Bainbridge's help also extends overseas. She partners with rescue groups in the U.S. and Asia to save dogs from the slaughterhouse and human consumption.
"It's a horrible situation. The way they do those things is beyond me. How can they sleep at night?" she asked.
As for Bainbridge, she finds her fulfillment in the eyes of the animals and people she serves.
"Seeing the people's face when they're happy that we helped them," is her reward, she said.
For rescuing and caring for dogs and cats through Jelly's Place, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Julie Bainbridge.
It should be noted that Bainbridge is actively looking for a new home in Contra Costa County for Jelly's Place. Bainbridge says the shelter is on Caltrans property and she does not agree with the proposals offered in order for her to stay there, and will need to move the shelter by 2025.
