Local shelter helping animals evacuated from Rosa Fire despite overcapacity
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) - Evacuation orders remain for areas around the Rosa Fire, displacing people and animals. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services is assisting and taking in impacted animals at its Coachella Valley and San Jacinto shelters.
“Our field team is out. They are able to go and rescue the pets that are up in houses past the barricades on 74. They prioritize ones closest to the fire first and then work from there.”
Marlo Clingman, Coachella Valley Animal Campus animal services manager
As of Tuesday, officials say eight dogs are being housed at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus while twelve horse, twelve dogs, seven goats, and five turkeys are being cared for at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus.
- Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter
- 6851 Van Buren Blvd
- Jurupa Valley, CA 92509
- San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus
- 581 S. Grand Ave.
- San Jacinto, CA 92582
- Coachella Valley Animal Campus
- 72-050 Pet Land Place
- Thousand Palms, CA 92276
But the effort is facing a challenge: overcapacity.
“Basically our staff reshuffles everyone. Plenty of our staff are also fosters… We’ll do a pop up kennel if we need to but that tends to mean more dogs in a kennel together. Might be three instead of two, four instead of three.”
Marlo Clingman, Coachella Valley Animal Campus animal services manager
With the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter at 216% capacity and San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 232% capacity for dogs, they're seeking the public's help to foster un-owned shelter pets.
Still, officials say the shelter will continue to rescue as many animals as they can
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
