Riverside County Announces Low-Cost Pet Adoption Program

A surge in impounds at Riverside County animal shelters prompted the Department of Animal Services to slash adoption fees for the rest of this month in the hope of moving canines and cats out of cages and into homes. "We loved watching so many pets get adopted during the (public health) lockdowns when everyone was at home and could love their new family members with undivided attention," agency Director Julie Bank said. "Now we’re hoping that those without animals might consider adopting or fostering a pet." The department has reduced adoption fees to a flat $5 under the new "Felines-n-Fido" program, which ends July 31. The usual fee schedule is $105 for a dog and $25 for a cat. According to Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh, the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley is now packed with 600 dogs and cats, while 150 are under the care of county employees at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms. At the end of last year, there were only about 150 pets in the Jurupa Valley shelter and 50 in the Coachella Valley location, Welsh said. "People are back at work, and more strays are ending up in Southland shelters," he said. "Riverside County’s shelters are certainly trending in the wrong direction: higher impound numbers per week." The Felines-n-Fido promotion includes the cost of spay/neuter surgery, rabies vaccination and microchipping of pets. All for $5. The price does not include dog licensing, for which adopters will have to pay separately. "We need the public’s help," Bank said. "Fostering, making a donation or becoming a volunteer are also ways to help." More information is available at https://rcdas.org/index.php/adopt- 2/adoptable-pets.