Amid Dire Overcrowding, Riverside County Shelter Dogs Being Shipped Out Of State

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — More Riverside County shelter dogs are being shipped out of state to reduce local overcrowding and improve chances of adoption.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services announced Tuesday that it partnered with Wings of Rescue to fly 19 dogs to Washington State over the weekend. Saturday's flight consisted mostly of big dogs sent to Seattle Humane.

Earlier this month, 36 Riverside County shelter dogs were flown to New York and Maine.

The deportations come amid dire local conditions. Riverside County Department of Animal Services is operating at critical levels of kennel capacity for dogs. Nearly 1,000 local shelter canines are waiting for their chance to find good homes, according to the agency.

In addition to shipping dogs to locations where adoption chances may improve, Riverside County Department of Animal Services is slashing its adoption fees.

On Saturday, Nov. 29, all adoptions will continue to be free of charge, including spay/neuter, microchips, vaccinations and an engraved ID tag. Fee-waived adoptions will continue on Sunday, Nov. 30, and animal services counselors will be on site to answer questions and facilitate introductions with pets available for adoption.

"With the help of our partners and the community, we are saving more lives," said Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. "We can all step up in our own way, and each adoption moves us closer to our goal of a 90% live release rate."

RCDAS Director Mary Martin thanked nonprofits and partners for stepping up for animals.

"We cannot do this lifesaving work without our valued partners like Wings of Rescue and all of our partners across the country, and we are beyond grateful for their continued dedication to helping RivCo pets," Martin said. "Now is a wonderful time to visit a Riverside shelter where so many faces are waiting to be seen. You will find it almost impossible to leave a shelter empty-handed, and when you leave with a new family member, you are choosing to fill your life with love."

In addition to forever homes for local pets, foster families are also needed to provide dogs with socialization and a break from the shelter environment while helping them find an adopter.

For more information about all the options available to help pets, including adoption, visit www.rcdas.org.