Riverside County Dept. of Animal Services nears goal of saving 5,000 cats lives in 2024

Officials with the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said they are nearing their goal of saving 5,000 more cats in its care.

To achieve its goal, the department said it's decreasing humane euthanasia of cats and increasing transfers to rescue partner organizations.

The efforts are tied to the 5,000 Cat Challenge, an initiative that seeks to improve live outcomes for cats in Riverside County in 2024. The challenge started after the agency collaborated with animal welfare experts, Jackson Galaxy, Hannah Shaw, Dr. Kate Hurley, and Dr. Julie Levy of the universities of UC Davis and Florida.

The agency has enhanced its pet services, by providing low-cost or free spay and neuter surgeries for community cats.

“As a result of our collective efforts, more than 4,000 cats have been saved, which is approximately 80 percent of our goal,” said Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez, Fifth District. “We are urging the public to help us reach this important milestone in the campaign’s final two months.

According to the agency, in 2023 Riverside County humanely euthanized roughly 6,400 cats. The cat euthanasia number is down significantly so far this year.

About 1,900 cats have been humanely euthanized – a drop of more than 4,500 cats.

Dr. Hurley and Dr. Levy previously launched the Million Cat Challenge in 2014, aiming to save 1 million cats in five years. The project saved 3 million cats by January 2021.

“We’re elated with our cat-saving progress,” said Kim Youngberg, interim director. “It has been fantastic to get so much support from our communities with programs, such as foster, trap neuter, and return. The public is much more supportive of these efforts compared to years ago – and this has made all the difference in more cats being saved.”

After the January 2024 gathering, experts met with local community cat advocates and rescue groups for the challenge. Since then, Riverside County Animal Services has established a kitten nursery, expanded its kitten foster program, and provided spay and neuter support for shelters and communities.

Riverside County is asking for the community’s help to reach the 5,000 goal. For more information, visit https://rcdas.org/