Riverside County offers month of free adoptions as Clear the Shelters begins

Riverside County Animal Services is offering free pet adoptions all month to celebrate its partnership with NBC4 and Telemundo 52’s Clear the Shelters campaign.

Riverside County’s shelters (located in Blythe, Jurupa Valley and Thousand Palms) are participating in the annual campaign with 70 other Southern California shelter and nonprofit rescue organizations – and more than 1,000 nationwide.

“This campaign comes at a time when our need for adopters is greater than ever,” Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the boosted exposure NBC4 and Telemundo 52 brings to homeless pets everywhere.”

The Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley is currently housing 479 dogs, 278 cats, 21 birds, 17 livestock and 15 others (pocket pets, such as guinea pigs, etc.). The Coachella Valley Animal Campus is housing 140 dogs and 115 cats.

Available pets can be found by clicking here.

“Our shelters have been experiencing a high volume of pets for months,” Gettis said. “For as many adoptions and transfers to rescue partners we are happy to report, almost the same number of stray pets arrive daily. If we can truly clear the shelters this month, we’re going to need the public’s help to stop the flow.”

Clear the Shelters started in 2015 – and Riverside County has been a participant since the start. Thousands of Riverside County shelter pets went to loving homes during previous years.

Gettis said adopters should be prepared to pay refundable deposits, depending on what type of pet they adopt. If a dog will be sent home unaltered, the adopter must leave a $75 refundable deposit ($40 for cats) to ensure the animal will be returned when a spay/neuter surgery is scheduled. Adopters’ deposits are returned after the pet’s surgery.

Also, pet adopters residing in Riverside County’s jurisdictional areas will need to buy a dog license. That fee varies in some cities, but the license in unincorporated county areas is $25. There is a nominal fee (3 percent) associated with credit cards used during the adoption process.

For more information about this campaign, click here and here.

Image Sources

  • Jonathan Gonzalez of NBC4 and Michelle Trujillo of Telemundo: RivCo Department of Animal Services