Riverside countywide holiday pet adoption bonanza set for Saturday

A campaign to boost adoptions of homeless dogs and cats in Riverside County by offering them at low or no cost is planned Saturday in Jurupa Valley, San Jacinto and Thousand Palms, where residents seeking to add a furry friend to their home before the New Year are encouraged to pay a visit.

“Every day is a great day to adopt a shelter pet, and families will especially enjoy the fun and festive atmosphere of the free pet adoptions at our annual ‘Home for the Holidays’ event,” Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said.

The Home for the Holidays campaign, part of a nationwide “Empty the Shelters” program that animal rescue nonprofits organize every December, is scheduled at the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren Blvd.; Jurupa Valley, the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 S. Grand Ave.; and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

The Jurupa Valley and Thousand Palms shelters will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the San Jacinto shelter from noon to 4 p.m.

Santa Claus will be on hand at the Jurupa Valley location to spread cheer and take photos with visitors and their prospective pets.

The Bissell Pet Foundation, which focuses on promoting adoptions to save pets’ lives, is partnering with the county to make the adoption bonanza possible.

“Our nation’s animal shelters need your help as they face an overcrowding crisis unlike anything we have experienced in more than a decade,” Bissell founder Cathy Bissell said. “The devastating increase in owner surrenders and stray intakes has left tens of thousands of deserving pets desperate to find a home.”

Home for the Holidays features suspension of all spay/neuter, microchipping and vaccination fees. However, adopters will have to pay for canine licenses.

The fees vary, depending on where in the county adopters reside. Additional information is available at https://rcdas.org/dog-licensing.

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