Orange County is rallying behind its four-legged neighbors with a push to find homes for the hundreds of pets currently in the care of local animal services. Following a temporary closure due to a respiratory illness outbreak, Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) is once more opening its doors to the community, offering a reduced adoption fee promotion to find forever homes for a significant number of dogs—now totaling 214 at the shelter alone.
The weeklong event, which began on June 24 and runs through June 30, coincides with the summer season and is designed to encourage families to consider adoption during their vacations. As a sweetener, the shelter has decided to waive fees for all pets with destination-inspired names. Those interested can learn more about the adoption process and view a live tally of the available pets by visiting the OCAS website. Diane Summers, Manager for OCAS, pointed to the community's role during the shutdown, "During our brief closure, we encouraged residents who had found any stray dogs to hold onto them until our reopening, we know many of those pets will be returning this week so we're bracing for several days of high intake and hoping the adoption interest matches what we have coming in," according to Orange County Animal Services.
With nearly 700 pets under its care—including those at the shelter and in foster homes—OCAS faces a capacity challenge, especially during the season when kitten numbers spike. Stray animals are particularly prone to breeding during the summer, leading to an influx of kittens that the shelter must manage. Summers underscored this issue via the Orange County Animal Services press release noting "During the first three weeks of this month we took in more than 350 cats and kittens," a trend that stretches resources and necessitates additional foster homes.
To address the volume of intake, OCAS has stressed the importance of leaving found kittens in place for the mother cat's return. Summers shared an important message about feline family dynamics: "In the vast majority of circumstances, the mother cat returns, and the family is safe, but separating neonatal kittens from their mother jeopardizes their health and wellbeing, yet people continue this practice with well-intended, but misguided intentions." as detailed by Orange County Animal Services. Those looking to foster can reach out to OCAS, which provides all essential care supplies and veterinary needs for pets in its foster care program.
