Shelter Dog “Chip” Flies to East Coast to Find His Forever Home; Seven RivCo Dogs Join SoCal Wings of Rescue Flight Transport
RIVERSIDE — Seven dogs, including shelter dog Chip, took a cross-country flight to the East Coast in search of a forever home. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services partnered with Wings of Rescue to send more than 180 dogs and cats from other overcrowded shelters in Southern California. The life-saving flight took off after midnight Saturday, Jan.
“I’m glad to see we are starting off the year on a high note by giving these dogs a new opportunity to be adopted,” Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a statement. “This first flight of the year shows when we work together the sky is the limit.”
On the flight was RivCo dog Chip, a 3-year-old Chihuahua mix who first came to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus in 2023 as a stray. Chip was adopted shortly after but found himself back at the shelter in December of last year after his owner was unable to care for him due to an illness. After efforts to explore alternatives for Chip, he entered the shelter for a second time and was lucky enough to be selected by a rescue organization.
“Chip’s story of entering the shelter multiple times is not uncommon, and we understand life happens where people can’t always keep their pets,” said RCDAS Assistant Director Dr. Kimberly Youngberg. “We helped Chip find his family once, and thanks to our partners, Chip’s journey will continue from California to Maine.”
With over 1,000 dogs in the shelter system, RCDAS continues to operate in critical overcapacity for the number of dogs compared to kennel space. To help get pets into homes, all adoption fees remain waived at all shelter locations and include spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchips, and a collar with an engraved ID tag.
“RivCo pets need us all to step up, and fee-waived adoptions help make pet ownership more feasible for anyone looking to add unconditional love to their life,” said Fifth District Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez. “I encourage community members to visit a RivCo shelter and meet all the wonderful pets waiting for the opportunity to continue their journey.”
For more information on adoption, foster and volunteer opportunities visit www.rcdas.org.
Photo credit: Riverside County Department of Animal Services
About RCDAS
The Riverside County Department of Animal Services shelters more than 35,000 animals annually across four locations, making it one of the largest sheltering systems in the country. RCDAS provides adoption, lost pet reunification, pet support services, and public safety programs, all aimed at keeping pets with families and increasing animal lifesaving.
