Eighteen canines found refuge after Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) responded to a distress call from a property owner in Coachella who could no longer sustain caring for them, as detailed in a report by KTLA. The property owner, who had been providing for the dogs for over a month, was met with support from RCDAS, which transferred the dogs to Amazing Dogs Rescue in San Diego, an organization that also accommodated an additional 12 dogs from the county's overburdened shelters.
RCDAS has been enduring a severe overcrowding issue, operating at a startling 230% of their dog capacity in September, with the intake numbers showing 1,620 dogs while only 1,021 were adopted, returned to owners, or sent to rescue groups. NBC Los Angeles reported this scenario, highlighting the imbalance in their animal care infrastructure. To mitigate this dire situation and ease kennel space, RCDAS has waived all adoption fees through the end of September, which includes the cost of spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchips, and a customized ID tag according to their official announcement.
“We serve as the safety net for people and pets in crisis, and we lean on our rescue partners to help us make space in overcrowded kennels,” RCDAS Assistant Director Dr. Kimberly Youngberg stressed in a statement revealing the dire state of their facilities and their dependency on both public and organizational assistance in challenging times, as highlighted by RCDAS.
The department appeals to the community, urging immediate public action to foster or adopt with no appointment necessary in hopes that community members will step up to assist as they navigate through, and resolve, this overcapacity situation, a plea made more urgent by the sheer numbers of dogs yet to find homes or safe harbor shown on the RCDAS website.
