Dept. of Animal Services announces free shelter adoptions on Saturday

Pet adoptions from county shelters will be free on Saturday, the final Saturday of the monthlong international "Clear the Shelters" event, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services announced today.   

The campaign, during which homeless dogs and cats are being offered for adoption at reduced rates, is intended to encourage Riverside County residents to open their hearts and homes to new four-legged friends.   

Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said adoption fees have been slashed to a base rate of zero for Saturday. Typical fees run anywhere from $12 to $120, depending on whether the adopted pet is a cat or dog, and whether they're already altered.

The fees include spay/neuter surgeries, rabies vaccinations and microchipping. Prospective pet owners who reside in unincorporated communities will still be required to purchase dog licenses, which are generally $25 apiece.

License fees vary in municipalities countywide, with senior citizen discounts always available.

"Reducing cost barriers encourages more adoptions, which will help alleviate overcrowding in our shelters,'' Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel said in a statement. "This campaign is a step towards ensuring that more pets find loving homes."

Prospective pets have been made available at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus and the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley.

The adoption bonanza, now in its 10th year, will continue through Sept. 10.   

The monthlong effort is made possible through regional media outlets, whom Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said "have long recognized that municipal and nonprofit shelters need all the help we can get when it comes to adoptions, education about pet overpopulation, microchipping
and the importance of spaying and neutering."  

More information is available at www.ClearTheSheltersFund.org, as well as https://rcdas.org/.