05/31/2025
A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR: When I started this journey with you all, I made a commitment to transparency, compassion and improvement. We have recently opened for adoptions, fosters and lost pet reclaims on Sundays, waived adoption fees, waived lost pet reclaim fees, increased spay/neuter surgeries, and integrated lost/found pets with Petco Love Lost. This is just the beginning of many more lifesaving strategies ahead for RCDAS.
As you may have heard, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution last week, called RivCo Rise, that highlights our shared goal of creating a “no-kill community“ where 90% of companion animals that enter the shelter leave alive. Achieving this goal will take all of us working together using all the lifesaving strategies that we know can work. Right now, we are operating over 220% kennel space capacity for dogs, which means the number of dogs in our kennels is more than double what they were designed to safely and humanely house. No dog deserves to live in a shelter, and no dog can thrive sharing a small space with two, three sometimes even four or more kennelmates.
I want to be completely transparent with you: RCDAS is facing critical overcrowding. Without immediate community support through adoptions, fostering, or reunification of lost pets, the department may be forced to make heartbreaking euthanasia decisions solely due to lack of space and our inability to provide humane care.
With more dogs coming in than are leaving, we are begging the public, partners and stakeholders to help us by fostering, adopting and rescuing dogs in our care. Rest assured, we are also working urgently on incorporating more lifesaving strategies, but we will also need support from our community to get our population to a healthy and safe level.
We need you to spread the word that we urgently need people to foster, adopt, volunteer and educate others on how they can help reduce the number of dogs coming through our doors.
FOSTER: We urgently need foster homes for dogs, even fostering for just 2 weeks to give a dog a break from the shelter will literally save their life. We will provide supplies, resources and match you with a pet who needs you. Simply visit one of our shelters and our staff can help match a dog that will fit your lifestyle and you’ll be able to take them home that same day.
ADOPT: Adoption fees at all shelter locations are waived until we can get our dog population to safe and humane levels. You can take home a loving dog of almost any breed, size, age and personality today. You can also connect with our dogs over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm as we recently updated our operating hours. The San Jacinto Animal Campus is reaching over 270% capacity for dogs, and this Saturday, May 31st only we will be staying open for adoptions and fosters until MIDNIGHT there to help find more dogs the homes they deserve. All adoptions include spay/neuter services, microchips and age-appropriate vaccinations.
VOLUNTEER: We understand your time might be limited but even volunteering just a few hours a week can save lives. There are many volunteer opportunities that range from hands on to behind the scenes and your efforts truly make a difference to our pets.
EDUCATE: Pet owners can take advantage of free microchips and pet ID tags available at all Riverside shelter locations. If your pet is lost, register them on the Petco Love Lost map located at the bottom of our homepage. If you find a healthy, friendly pet, consider keeping them in your home as a foster and registering them on the Petco Love Lost map. Most pets that go missing are found within a mile from their home and keeping them out of the shelter will free up space for others.
We can do this, if we rally together. Behind the numbers are faces with unique stories, who deserve better. They can’t wait much longer. Please come to any of our shelters TODAY to find out how you can help.
Visit our website at www.rcdas.org today to get started and help us save lives.
Mary Martin
Director, Riverside County Animal Services
