![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0136-2-1-2560x1920.jpg\")
The Berkeley animal shelter on Tuesday morning. Credit: Zac Farber\/Berkeleyside<\/p>\nThe Berkeley animal shelter on Tuesday morning. Credit: Zac Farber\/Berkeleyside<\/p>\n
Police believe someone intentionally set the Saturday night fire<\/a> that forced an evacuation of the Berkeley Animal Care Services shelter, they announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n There were no injuries reported to humans or animals, but the facility will remain closed for at least three weeks and potentially months, the city said Tuesday.<\/p>\n Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Byron White said that surveillance footage from the area led detectives to \u201cbelieve that the fire was intentionally lit.\u201d The department has opened an arson investigation and asked that anyone with information on the fire to contact the Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.<\/p>\n \u201cInformation provided by community members may be critical to advancing the investigation,\u201d White said in an email.<\/p>\n The fire burned through a pile of pet supplies under a stairway in the building\u2019s lobby. All animals that had been sheltered at the facility have been relocated, according to city spokesperson Seung Lee.<\/p>\n Berkeley Fire spokesperson Dafina Dailey said the fire was reported around 10 p.m. Saturday, and that a broken window was among the findings that led an investigator \u201cto believe the fire was suspicious in nature,\u201d even before BPD announced what they had found on surveillance footage.<\/p>\n A building inspection on Monday found no structural damage, but smoke damage was found in staff areas and the downed sprinkler system posed a risk to animals, Lee said.<\/p>\n Staff at the city-run shelter near Aquatic Park initially thought the animals were safe from smoke and could remain on site. But by the afternoon, the shelter\u2019s six kittens were being evacuated from the building and by Monday, the shelter had decided to get all of the animals out, according to Jeffrey Zerwekh, executive director of Berkeley Humane, a nonprofit animal shelter.<\/p>\n Berkeley Humane took in the kittens Sunday at its facility on Ninth Street, and more than a dozen other cats from the shelter on Monday. All seemed to be healthy and have been placed into foster homes, Zerwekh said.\u00a0<\/p>\n When he visited Sunday afternoon, he could smell smoke in the cat rooms at the top of the stairs, and the facility was under auxiliary power.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt made sense to get the kittens out of there because they\u2019re fragile,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to helping find foster homes for cats, Berkeley Humane has been doing laundry for the shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really good at laundry. The community has been donating towels, and in a little bit, we\u2019re going to drop off a whole bunch of fresh towels for them,\u201d Zerwekh said.<\/p>\n During the closure, the Berkeley animal shelter is suspending adoption services, lost-and-found pet services, volunteer work, animal field services and all walk-in services, Lee said. People looking to drop off or adopt an animal are urged to contact other local shelters. \u201cWe will try and reopen as quickly as possible,\u201d Lee said, though remediating smoke damage and repairing the sprinkler system will be time-consuming.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Berkeley animal shelter told volunteers Monday it was accepting clean unused towels and soft blankets, which can be left outside the front door. Monetary donations<\/a> are also welcomed. The shelter requested no other donations be dropped off at this time.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BerkeleyHumane_BACS_Kitten-Intake.jpeg\")
One of the six kittens at the shelter at the time of the fire. Credit: Jeffrey Zerwekh<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0110-1-scaled.jpg\")
Dog beds, blankets, food bags, leashes and other donated pet supplies were destroyed or left unusable from smoke damage. Credit: Zac Farber\/Berkeleyside<\/p>\n