Animal Services celebrates thousands of pets helped by community this summer

September 7, 2023

Animal Services celebrates thousands of pets helped by community this summer

The Jurupa Valley Shelter is saying a big thank you to residents who assisted by fostering and holding nearly 2,000 pets that would have otherwise come into the shelter as stray, lost or surrendered.

“It is heartwarming to see the community come together in the interest of animal welfare. Through fostering and adopting, the public has helped in alleviating the current pressures facing our animal shelters and pets,” said Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel.

“Without this tremendous willingness on the part of community members to save healthy, friendly pets and be a part of the solution, hundreds more pets could have faced euthanasia, simply because the shelter is so full,” said Erin Gettis, director of Riverside County Department of Animal Services (DAS).

The shelter began asking the public for help in June, providing resources and information to people who are willing to help house a pet in need. Of the 3,744 animals seen since June, a total of 1,941 or 52 percent of animals, were kept out of the shelter.

“We’re speaking directly and honestly to educate residents about the issue of overcrowding and are finding that the majority of community members are prepared to be part of the solution,” Gettis shared.

The shelter staff engages every visitor in one-on-one conversations, whether they come to adopt, foster, volunteer, bring in a stray pet or surrender an owned pet. Staff also quickly assesses and assists with visitors’ needs and provides them with resources.

Gettis added, “Every time a visitor leaves the shelter with an animal, rather than leaving the animal at the shelter, it helps address the overcrowding in our shelters. And that’s what this is about – the community working with us to save pets from impound and increasing positive outcomes for the animals in our care.”

For people who need to bring in a pet, the shelter emphasizes that helping is optional and the goal is consent-based support by community members in order to save as many pets’ lives as possible.

Learn more about adopting or fostering, donating or volunteering by visiting www.rcdas.org.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services 6851 Van Buren Blvd, Jurupa Valley, CA 92509 Phone (951) 358-7387 FAX (951) 358-7300 TDD (951) 358-5124