for a heart breaking limited time only at panda express. ♪ robert handa: hello, and welcome to "asian pacific america." i'm robert handa, your host for our show here on nbc bay area and cozi tv. today we have a special program that we really believe is an important issue for every community. it's called clear the shelters, a nationwide pet adoption campaign to match animals with new homes. nbc and telemundo stations are launching their fifth annual pet adoption drive. we have helped more than 5,000 animals find new homes locally, more than 250,000 nationwide since 2015. today we will give you an overview of the clear the shelters organizations. we'll show you about fostering an animal, the foster home process, and then going from fostering to adopting, and what families need to know. all that on our show today.

robert: well, to start us off on our clear the shelters mission is the founder of a group called love and second chances. joining me now is melody chen, who decided to start this rescue, love and second chances, because she loves animals and met many, as she put it, "amazing people along the way." welcome to the show. melody chen: thank you for having us. robert: and, now, you brought another guest as well? melody: yes, this is nemo. robert: nemo? okay, so you found nemo. melody: nemo was one of our international rescues from korea. he was actually going to be sold into the meat market there before a rescue was able to get him, and now he's been adopted and even have his own instagram page. robert: wow. melody: he's just having a good time. robert: gotten into the social media right away then, huh? melody: yes. robert: that is amazing story because--i don't know. i don't think people would necessarily know all the dramatic situations sometimes that these animals come from. melody: yeah, a lot of people still don't know what's going on in certain places around the world, and that's why we wanted to, kind of, start the program to, kind of, open people's eyes

to what's going around, and our program was also dedicated to help our local dogs too. robert: mm-hmm. your organization then specializes in certain dogs that have a certain traumatic kind of experience, or what? melody: we are actually a all-breed rescue, so we rescue all breeds. as long as we're able to help, we do whatever we can to, so it doesn't matter about their age or if they have any kind of special needs. robert: mm-hmm. we do, having adopted dogs ourselves, our family, i know that one of the things that you do look for is how much a dog has been affected by what's happened to it before and things like that. melody: yeah, we wanna make sure the home that we find really understands what they're getting themself into. that way, we're setting the dog up for success, so they go to that home, and that home is able to help them really get over what they've been through and blossom to what they can be. robert: i know.

i think that one of the most rewarding things about that is being able to take a dog that could've had a very unhappy life, and give it a happy life, huh? melody: yes, it's the most amazing thing for us in rescue to find that perfect match. robert: mm-hmm. how do you go about selecting the dogs you get? how do you go about selecting people who get them? melody: it's all on space. that's why foster homes matter a lot 'cause we can only save what we have space for, so if we have more fosters, we can save more dogs. robert: tell me somethin'. i understand that you came from taiwan. that's in your background? melody: yes. robert: how does that maybe shape your perspective a little bit? melody: so i went back when i was around 13, and i just saw how horrible it was for stray dogs there. there was dogs with missing paws and, just, so skinny and emaciated. we bumped into one that was so friendly. it came up to us, but my aunt actually came and shooed it away, and that's when i kind of realized it's just perspective

of how different cultures see dogs, so that was--you know, educationwise, we needed to kind of have people know what dogs are, in general, 'cause they saw them as disease-ridden, just, that they carried disease and to stay away from them. so i couldn't rescue that dog, but i kind of made a promise that if, down the line, i was able to have a opportunity to save even one from taiwan, then i would, and that opportunity came a few years later, and then i started the international program. robert: oh, my goodness. how many have you saved from taiwan? do you have ballpark figure? melody: ballpark, overall, we've adopted around 2,000 or so. robert: wow, that's a lot of rescues. tell me something. you were talkin' about the cultural differences in the way they view dogs and everything like that. what did you see? when you saw those dogs there, what is it that you saw that

made you wanna do this? melody: i just saw potential 'cause there's just so many dogs there that i know could find homes here, and being that i rescue locally here too, it's, just, you kind of know what people are looking for, and i think, for me, it was the opportunity 'cause you can't really convince someone that wants to adopt a golden retriever to go adopt a pit bull from the shelter, no matter how great that pit bull is. robert: right, yeah. melody: but the avenue was there, and if we had the opportunity to connect the dots, i wanted to be able to do that, and that's what we did. we just--there were so many, like, golden retrievers, like, purebred breeds there that a lot of people here wanted, so that's what we started off when we did our international is we, kind of, took the dogs there and found them homes here and then gradually started adding in the mixes, and that took about seven years to really get the public on board.

robert: wow, that's a amazing story. you should be quite proud of what you've done. all right, and nemo is a great example what people can find, right? melody: yeah. robert: all right, thank you. thank you, nemo. melody: thank you for having us. robert: all right, well, next up, going from fostering to adopting. more about what families need to know, so stay with us. ♪

robert: well, most of us know what it means when we talk about the concept of a foster home. well, there are similarities when you talk about fostering an animal. with me now is a foster mom, maria macaspac with muttville senior dog rescue. great name. maria has dedicated her life to animals, working with animal rescue and welfare organizations and, in the past 12 years, has fostered well over 100 senior dogs and hospice-adopted a dozen terminally ill dogs for muttville senior dog rescue in san francisco.

welcome to the show. maria macaspac: thank you so much, robert. robert: and you brought another guest. maria: i did. this is lovely wanda. robert: very lovely. maybe a little bored at listening to me speak, but, otherwise, looks fine. tell us about wanda. maria: well, wanda has recently joined muttville. she's been with us about a week. she was rescued by a local bay area shelter when her guardian fell ill and could no longer take care of her, and we partner with many bay area shelters, and they know that, since we specialize in seniors, she's 11 years old, and they gave us a call, and we welcomed her with open arms. robert: interesting when you say "senior" dogs, right? because that's a different kind of thing when you're talking about taking care of it and what your expectations should be, right? maria: for sure. you know, seven years and older is what we specialize in, and when they get to that age, you know, there are certain health issues that, you know, i think are important for somebody to know about caring for a dog who is in those--you know, in their middle age and older.

robert: mm-hmm, yeah, yeah, a lot of us also like to, you know, tout the advantage of being older as humans. so what are the advantages for when people take a senior dog? maria: well, what's great about adopting a senior dog and need for fostering a senior dog is it matches a lot of people's lifestyles, you know? they're not as active, but they still love walks. they are usually, like, at home and accustomed to living in a home, so there's not as much training or as much that you would need to put into the time of having a dog be trained. like, many muttville dogs came from a loving home and, in her case, you know, where they just couldn't take care anymore, or even the owner passed away, that they know what it's like to live in a home. they're house-trained. you know, they love to snuggle. they already know what it's like to be in a loving family, and they're just looking for, you know, a new loving family. robert: now, a lot of us think that, when we hear "foster home" or "fostering" as a concept, we kind of know what that means. is it the same for a dog? what is it that you're looking for? what are you talking about when you say, "fostering a dog"?

maria: i'm happy to explain. so, many dogs, before they even come to muttville, you know, they were in a loving home, or maybe they were a stray, but most of them, you know, they're sad that they've changed their environment. they came from a shelter, and now they're coming to muttville. it can be very stressful. so a foster family can welcome them into their home and give them some stability, and they can come out of their shell and learn to feel safe and trust people, and that's perfect for somebody who's coming to adopt because they get to see the best side of that dog, which makes me, as a foster mom, very happy to see when they are ready to meet families, and you see families, you know, are impressed by, you know, how wonderful they are, and that's what i think is the best past about being a foster mom. robert: is the fact that they're older make it more difficult or less difficult to adopt to that transition time, being in a foster home? maria: well, i think that because they are older, they have experience, you know?

and i think that really makes a difference. and maybe for a family who, they're new to adopting or maybe new to a senior, sometimes it's an easier transition because the dog can kind of show what it's like to have a dog. they can show you, like, you know, "i'm already house-trained," or "i can show you, like, best way to walk me," or how to snuggle in bed, which i think is always a great thing, especially when i see families with kids. i think that that's actually a great pairing. and also with seniors who just want a dog with a little less activity, and that's actually one of our programs is the seniors for seniors adoption program. robert: yeah, that seems like a perfect fit. maria: yeah, it is. it's really great. robert: but i could actually picture somebody taking wanda into their foster home, and then wanting to keep them permanently. are you--try to make sure that doesn't happen? or does that-- maria: match--we're happy with that. we have an interesting term called "foster failure," but, you know, it happens, and i think it's perfectly fine. i mean, you get to know a dog, and maybe they really are

a perfect fit for you home, and why not? it's perfectly fine, and usually those same fosters, even after they adopt, they still foster another dog. they have room for more, you know, as i do too, you know. robert: and, of course, we're gonna make it easy for them to find out during the process when we have our, you know, clear the shelters. but what should people--how should people, kind of, keep in mind throughout the time and not just that day if they are thinking about doing it? what do you want them to kind of think about? maria: well, if they're interested in fostering or adopting, you know, we have weekend events which are really great places just to get to know the kind of dogs that we rescue, and you can ask volunteers there. we have people who are fosters, because the fosters will bring their foster dogs to adoption events, and are happy to explain and share the joys of fostering. and what else is great is when someone's coming to adopt, and maybe it's your foster dog. you know, we've been living with them for a considerable amount of time. you can tell 'em what it's like when they wake up in the morning and when they--what time they like to go to bed and what's their favorite tv show, or, you know, the favorite kind of toys

and things like that. robert: real quick plug for wanda. what do you want people to know about wanda? maria: wanda--i mean, look, she kind of sold herself. she is a sweet, calm dog who enjoys everything. she enjoys car rides. she enjoys sitting on laps. she is great with all dogs. she makes friends easily. robert: all right, you know it then, wanda is available. the clear the shelters at muttville senior dog rescue will be saturday, august 17, from noon to 4 p.m., at the muttville senior dog rescue facility at 255 alabama street in san francisco. reduced fees on that day. next up, going from fostering to adopting. what we told you we were gonna show you, we're gonna show you now what families need to know about that, so stay with us. hacked! a warning from our responds team on that equifax settlement. what the f-t-c wants you to know before you try to cash in. plus---kari hall is tracking your work week forecast. join us monday morning from 4:30 to 7.

shelters process, going from fostering to adopting. to help us with that is gillian chao, a volunteer for the peninsula humane society & spca, an avid animal lover for her whole life.

gillian has been volunteering at the peninsula humane society for six years. welcome to the show. gillian chao: thank you. thank you for having us. robert: all right, and who is our other guest? gillian: this is aggie. she is a recent adoption of ours. she is a hospice adoption, so she was diagnosed with an untreatable illness, and so that's why she is not available for adoption, and i decided to take her home to give her whatever time she has left. robert: oh, well, that's a inspiring thing to make sure people know that you can help a dog have a happy life that maybe don't seem like they're destined to, huh? gillian: right, i mean, you know, she might have cancer, but she doesn't know the meaning of that word, and so, to her, every day is a good day. robert: yeah, yeah, i mean, i think, in a way, that is sort of such a big thing about, you know, rescuing dogs and everything is just being able to--a lot like adoption, you know, being able to rescue a life, you know? tell us a little bit about the program, going into, like, how is it going? are you getting, you know, like, a lot of dogs, a lot of animals

coming in these days? gillian: well, you know, peninsula humane society is an open-door shelter, so we take in every animal that comes through our doors. we accept all of them, so, you know, that's not just dogs, but cats, bunny rabbits, lizards, you know, pigeons, ducks, horses, geese, you know, like-- robert: yes, i know, it's just a variety there, yeah. gillian: yes, yes. robert: we were talking a little earlier, quite extensively, about fostering, and then we did talk a little bit about fostering to adoption, oh, and sometimes even the two, sort of, meld together. gillian: yes, i have a foster failure, myself. robert: yes, exactly. i like that phrase, by the way, "foster failure." it sounds like a success, to me, but-- gillian: best failure, but, yes. robert: but when you do that transition, what are some of the key things for people to know? gillian: well, you know, most people aren't transitioning from fostering, right? they're mostly just showing up and wanting to adopt, and i think there's a few things that, you know, i think could be really helpful for people.

you know, first of all, it's not necessarily to have that one image in your mind of what type of dog they want, and be more open to listening to what type of dog might fit their lifestyle. you know, right now we have a lot of huskies, and people think that they're beautiful dogs, and they are, but they're a really tough dog to have for most of our typical lifestyles. robert: yeah, we owned one. gillian: oh, you own one, so you know. robert: yeah, we did, and it took beautiful pictures, but it was probably the most complicated dog, yeah. gillian: yeah, so we find that we're getting a lot of those back to the shelter. robert: oh, really? gillian: mm-hmm, because people realize that it's not right. robert: which is why people should keep in mind, huh, and maybe listen to some advice in terms of what they need to know about what kind of dog is best for them? gillian: right, and our adoption counselors, really, they can make excellent suggestions, and, you know, it might not necessarily be the image of the dog you had in mind, but it's still gonna be an excellent dog for your family. robert: yeah, when is it maybe advantageous to have a dog go through the fostering process versus taking them immediately?

what's the--for you, would be maybe some discerning factors? gillian: you know, we don't actually do a lot of foster-to-adopt. i think if you're a volunteer, that is fostering. you know, we have a wide range of dogs that go into foster. they might be for-- 'cause they need more extensive medical care. they need a quieter home environment. robert: yeah, it's almost more for the animal, in a way, huh? gillian: yeah, totally, and others, they might be so shy that the shelter environment is overwhelming. robert: and i might not be correct, but i thought--in my mind, i thought maybe somebody who is owning a pet for the first time might benefit from an animal that's already been--had gone through the foster process, but i don't know. gillian: not necessarily, yeah. we actually have many animals that just go straight from, you know, kind of, the evaluation process to adoption, so, yeah, i think partly it's just, you know, being open-minded about the type of dog, but also, you know, if you have, you know,

kids or other dogs, definitely bring them along so that they can meet the dog that you're interested in, to make sure it's a good fit 'cause you might fall in love with that dog, and then your other dog might say, "mm-mm." robert: mm-hmm, yeah, or--and i can speak from experience on this, just from numerous families where the children want a dog, but then, once the dog comes home, the parents are the ones that end up taking care of it. gillian: right, right, that's very common. robert: yeah, and they still love the dog, but it does fall on the parents to do it, so they have to kind of know the circumstance of being able to take care of a dog 'cause they can't probably depend on their children to take on that kind of responsibility, huh? and it is a responsibility. gillian: oh, very much so. robert: but you have to really stress that to people that, you know, it is we wanna clear the shelters. we want people to do this, but we also want people to know what they're getting themselves into, advantages and disadvantages. gillian: right, we talk about placing. we wanna place them in their forever homes. robert: mm-hmm, yeah, so as we approach this kind of day, you know, and there's a lot of enthusiasm built up for it and

people get, kind of, caught up in doing it, what's the right perspective for people to have when they come into it? gillian: you know, i think the things we've talked about already, but, you know, also that this is not a toy. you know, an animal is not a toy, and when they enter your home, that, you know, they've come from a pretty stressful environment, and they're gonna need some time to decompress, so don't go home and throw a party immediately and invite all your friends over to meet your new dog because you know what? you're gonna freak your dog out, so, yeah, we always say you wanna give 'em time to decompress. really, what they probably wanna do is just go home and just sleep for a while. robert: right, yeah, we want people to think about it, but we want them to think about it positively 'cause it is a positive experience. gillian: yeah, very much so. robert: gillian, thank you very much. gillian: thank you for having us. robert: all right, keep up the good work. well, clear the shelters at the peninsula humane society & spca is saturday, august 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., where you can name your own adoption fee on more than 100 animals and, as you heard, including dogs, puppies,

cats, kittens, reptiles, rabbits, and birds. that will all take place at their facility at 1450 rollins road in burlingame. now stay with us. more on clear the shelters as well as another--other important events happening in the community. get ready to mark down some dates and times. ♪

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we have a calendar of big events, so let's start with the clear the shelters events. nbc bay area's clear the shelters and bark (& meow) around the block is happening in partnership with berkeley humane on saturday, august 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at ninth and carleton streets in berkeley, where adoption fees are being waived or reduced. go to nbcbayarea.com, for more details. next, love a senior weekends. there is an adoption event every saturday and sunday at muttville senior dog rescue, as you heard earlier, from noon to 4 p.m., again, at 255 alabama street in san francisco. check their website and call ahead if you wanna make sure a

particular dog is there to greet you. some non-adoption events, redwood city music on the square, every friday evening until august 30, at the courthouse square, at 2200 broadway street, and palo alto festival of the arts will run from august 24 to the 25th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on university avenue in palo alto. for more information, go to nbcbayarea.com. in fact, you can get all the details on the clear the shelters events on nbcbayarea.com. we are also on social media, facebook, and twitter, and you can follow me, @rhandanbc. and that's it for our show this week. don't forget to start clearing the shelters and to join "asian pacific america" again next week. we'll see ya then. thanks for watching. ♪

good morning. hours after the mass shooting in el paso, another in dayton, ohio. >> we have has casualties. nine or ten shot. >> a gunman opening fire in a crowded nightlife district. at least nine people dead. the gunman shot by police as terrified onlooks ran for their lives. >> just boom, boom, boom, boom. you can look back and see people at the club falling. >> reporter: the shooting happened just hours after the mass car in walmart in