County animal services speaks out on new annual rate hikes
Athena Jreij
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) request to hike fees charged to cities that contract with the agency over the next three years to cover expenses for personnel, impounds and other necessities.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the rate adjustments, which are retroactive to the start of the current fiscal year on July 1 and continue until the end of June 2028.
“The … rates are necessary to keep up with the ongoing operational costs associated with providing efficient services and essential programs to county residents and their animals,” according to an agency statement posted to the board’s agenda.
Today, RCDAS Animal Director Mary Martin spoke out on the rate hikes, which are raising some animal budgets by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Martin says the hikes are long overdue to keep up with rising costs in the animal world, and life-saving initiatives.
“It has been a number of years since there has been any rate increase, but the cost of services have risen. The cost for staffing, the cost for all of the supplies, veterinary care, all of that. However, on top of that, we really wanted to ensure that we were doing what our communities wanted us to do, which is life saving,” Martin said.
Four Coachella Valley cities have been approved for rate hikes, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Palm Desert.
Breaking down the numbers, News Channel 3’s Athena Jreij found the four cities combined are set to pay over $1.8 million in new rates combined, over three years.
The Board of Supervisors approved a 5% field rate hike for three years, which covers animal control services. On top of those, higher shelter charges were also approved for individual cities.
Indian Wells is currently contracted to pay $1,580 through December of this year. By 2028, they’ll pay over $18,000 annually according to the county agenda.
In Palm Desert, they city increased it’s contract by more than 37% for field rates. This year, they’re set to pay over $236,000. By 2028, that number will increase to $588,648, for both field and shelter fees.
Mayor Pro Tem Evan Trubee says the price is worth it when considering the cost of shelter operations in-house.
“If we bring it in house and have our own shelter, our own animal service officers, the salaries, the benefits, the pensions, etc., you get up into the several million dollar per year range,” Trubee said.
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The city of La Quinta more than doubled it’s budget, raising rates from more than $185,000 to over $535,000 annually by 2028.
“We’re fortunate as a city to be financially strong and solvent. We can absorb those costs. The last thing we want to do is put our animals at risk in our city because we’re not able or capable or willing to, support those increases,” City Councilmember Steve Sanchez said.
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The largest growth is in Indio, which is raising it’s budget from more than $630,000 a year to over $1.7 million by 2028 as well.
Martin says with new funding, the county plans to hire 38 new employees targeting no-kill work.
“We’re inching up slowly in that life saving, but we hope that these positions will really increase that life saving. We asked for the creation of 38 new positions, all of whom are focused on all of the life-saving programs. So adoption, rescue, foster and community pet support. That’s the piece that I am super excited to see, how we’re able to help people keep their pets,” Martin said.
In May, the board approved a “no kill” policy, resolving that the county will make it an objective to preserve the lives of a minimum of 90% of all cats and dogs impounded at the county’s four shelters.
The policy entails greater emphasis on free or low-cost spay and neuter clinics, enhanced “return-to owner” programs that unite lost pets with their loved ones, adoption campaigns with full fee waivers and expedited “trap-neuter-return-to-field” programs that were inaugurated in March 2024.
Three Coachella Valley cities – Cathedral City, Coachella, and Rancho Mirage, still need their rate hikes approved.