Dogs Spared From Euthanasia At RivCo Shelters

BANNING, CA — A wave of last-minute pet adoptions spared the lives of 68 dogs slated for euthanasia at Riverside County animal shelters, officials said Thursday.

Still, workers at shelters in Thousand Palms and Jurupa Valley are pleading with the public to consider adding a pet to their homes.

On Wednesday alone, there were 57 adoptions, while another 37 animals were sent to rescue groups, according to county Animal Services spokesperson John Welsh.

Last Saturday, the shelters in Jurupa Valley and Thousand Palms waived all adoption fees indefinitely to encourage people to take a pet home.

"We're at maximum capacity and we need the public's help to immediately improve the outcomes of dogs and cats currently in our care," county Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said.

On Saturday, the county cared for more than 800 animals — 263 in Thousand Palms and 573 in Jurupa Valley. With the announcement of waived fees, they emphasized that the trend of animals being brought into shelters was unsustainable.

Both shelters were seeing an abundance of large-breed dogs, which are often less favored by people visiting a furry companion, officials said.

Following the plea from the animal shelters, the post was picked up by animal activists on social media, hoping to rescue the dogs before their euthanization date on Thursday.

The posts led to "a flood in adoptions throughout the week," Animal Services spokesman Welsh told Patch.

While the effort saved the red-listed animals, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services was still working to find long-term ways to address overpopulation and mitigate the ongoing shelter crisis. Every day, more large dogs arrive at shelters across the county.

According to Welsh, in May, 1,013 animals — 927 strays — were impounded, and 386 animals — 363 strays — were impounded since Monday alone.

The county still euthanized 54 animals because they were either sick, extremely sick, or had untreatable behavior or unmanageable medical issues.

"A dog or cat that has an illness (kennel cough, severe kennel cough, or upper respiratory illnesses) could be euthanized, but the condition it had was truly treatable," Welsh explained. "But, you may ask, why euthanize THAT pet? Well, in packed conditions, we are forced to euthanize the very sick to prevent their illness from causing an outbreak with the other animals in our care."

Welsh added that while Riverside residents rescued 94 animals through adoptions or transfers to rescue groups this week, nearly 100 more were impounded by officers and surrendered by the public at shelters.

"That's why we're pleading to the public for help," Welsh said. "This is not sustainable. This equation has to end. By having the public help us with better pet responsibility... there's no way any animal organization can keep up with the numbers we're dealing with right now."

He recommended that people adopt, sign up to volunteer, foster, microchip, get collars or tags, and spread the word on the importance of combating pet overpopulation.

"Not just for one week, not just because somebody went on Tik Tok and said that we're going to put these animals down," said Welsh.

To help the shelter combat overpopulation, the Mead Valley Community Center hosted a free vaccination clinic on Thursday.

The Coachella Valley Animal Campus in La Quinta will host another vaccination clinic with free vaccinations and microchips available on a first-come, first-served basis on May 19, starting at 10 a.m.