Riverside County Department of Animal Services flies 36 dogs to east coast
Jesus Reyes
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – As Riverside County continues to deal with overcrowded shelters, the Department of Animal Services partnered with Wings of Rescue to send 36 dogs to New York and Maine on a lifesaving flight.
Officials said the plane took off just after midnight Saturday morning despite the rainy weather in Southern California. A total of 109 dogs from other rescue and shelter organizations in the region were on the flight.
“These flights demonstrate our dedication, teamwork and drive to saving more lives in our community and partnering with groups who share our goal is a win for all,” said Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “We need to keep the momentum going, and we need the community to open their homes to homeless pets in Riverside County.”
As RCDAS continues to operate in critical overcapacity for dogs, adoption fees are waived at all shelter locations for the month of November to encourage community members to help save lives.
“Whether pets leave the shelter on a cross-country flight or in the back of their new family’s car, our goal is always the same: to help every animal we possibly can,” said RCDAS Manager Daylin Valencia. “Our teams show up every day with compassion and commitment, and we’re hopeful that our community will continue to show up for them too, through adopting, fostering, sharing, or simply spreading the word.”
All fee-waived adoptions include spay/neuter surgery, microchips, vaccinations, and an engraved ID tag. With almost 1,000 dogs in the shelter there are hundreds of breeds, ages, sizes and personalities to choose from.
“Giving a dog a home for the holidays is the ultimate gift,” said Fifth District Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez. “RivCo pets deserve our best efforts, and this is the season to give a shelter pet a chance.”