RivCo Animal Shelter 'Surrounded By Water' After Tropical Storm Hilary

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The Coachella Valley Animal Campus remains inaccessible to the public this week though a crew of workers are keeping the animals company in the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary. Riverside County is working with Cathedral City to reopen flooded and mud-covered roadways blocking the shelter, according to Animal Services Chief Jackie Schart. For now, she said the 242 animals housed inside the campus are stuck on an island in a lake of water. "The desert is a total swamp."

Even when the power went out, a skeleton crew kept the lights on, and the medicine refrigerated with the help of electric generators, she said. The pets inside have never been left alone without care.

Tropical Storm Hilary blasted through the desert campus Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, leaving over 3.5 inches of rain in its wake, according to the National Weather Service.

"There's a football field-sized lake in the desert, and the road is covered in standing water and mud," Schart said. "There's no delineation of what is what."

Among the animals that waited out the storm at the shelter were 161 dogs, 78 cats, and one ring-necked dove who's lived there since his owner passed away. Many of the animals were lost or abandoned before the storm, she says. People can come and get them if they identify them online and email the county. "The phone lines need to remain open for emergencies," she said.

For residents worried that the animals were unattended inside, Schart assured Patch that was never the case. Animal Services workers followed contingency plans during the storm and were on-site to tend the animals 24 hours a day.

"We're back to almost normal staffing now," she said. Still, the campus is closed to the public due to the inaccessibility of the roads. No work has yet been done to remove water, though caution tape now blocks the way, to keep drivers from becoming stuck in the mud of Petland and Place and Rio Del Sol, according to pictures provided by Schart.

The staff is trucked in using the county's four-wheel drives daily. Schart likened it to "like kids waiting for the school bus." They are brown-bagging lunch or hauling in pizzas for trapped workers during their shifts. "No one gets to leave without a 4WD ride," she said.

As for when the road will be cleared, that is under the purview of Riverside County Emergency Management Department, Transporation and Land Management Agency, Cathedral City, Thousand Palms, and surrounding communities.

All are working together with local, state, and federal partners to assess damages from Tropical Cyclone Hilary and remove mud and water from roadways, including the flood of "Coachella Valley Lake." People remain the highest priority, and the animals are being cared for and are not considered to be in danger, according to a spokesperson for the EMD.

Meanwhile, the animals sit, stay, and wait for families to find them online. When it comes to adopting them, where there's a will, there's a way, according to Schart.

"It's hard for any of the pets to be adopted right now," she said. "The animals adopt themselves. Typically, people come to the campus, fall in love with them, and take them home. We can't give them that 'love at first sight' feeling right now. For now, we're relying on the website to show The pets are stuck with us, like family."

For those looking to adopt or foster a pet from the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, all are encouraged to view the adoptable pets on the website and then inquire about the pet by emailing shelterinfo@rivco.org. Be sure to include the pet's ID number.

Those who cannot bring a shelter pet home but wish to donate to support the animals trapped at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus can do so by visiting rcdas.org/support/donate.