Riverside Animal Services to waive dog adoption fees

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services will waive dog adoption fees starting Saturday and for the remainder of January.

The move is part of the Live Large campaign, launched by the Best Friends Animal Society, to promote adoption of larger dogs, which often have more difficulty being adopted, according to officials.

The Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, however, will be waiving dog adoption fees for all canines regardless of size.

“We’re happy to be part of the Live Large campaign, but our definition of a large dog will be very liberal,” said Kim Youngberg, an Animal Services deputy director overseeing programs and operations. “If someone tells us that a Chihuahua looks big to them, who are we to argue?”

Adoption fees will be waived until Jan. 31, but adopters will still need to purchase a dog license.