Riverside County Animal Services brings free dog adoptions to Riverside County Fair
Shay Lawson
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Fairgoers attending the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival are finding more than rides and cinnamon rolls this year. They’re also finding free adoptable dogs.
Riverside County Animal Services has set up an on-site adoption truck with air conditioning, giving families the chance to meet dogs ready for new homes.
Stephanie Castaneda, supervising animal services counselor, said they’ve brought dogs that have been waiting at the shelter the longest.
“All the dogs that we’re bringing are spay/neuter,” Castaneda said. “They’re fully vaccinated. They’re ready to go.”
She said many of the dogs are shepherd mixes.
“We’re just trying to get them seen by families and people coming into the fair with their kids,” Castaneda said.
Over the past two weekends, Castaneda said there’s been 43 adoptions.
“The first weekend on Saturday, we actually got all our dogs adopted,” Castaneda said. “We’re hoping to do that again this upcoming Saturday.”
Animal Services is at the fair Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beyond adoptions, Castaneda said the booth also connects residents with volunteer and foster opportunities, especially with kitten season approaching.
“We’ve gained a lot of volunteers in the past few weekends,” Castaneda said. “A lot of people are going to the shelter to help the animals there.”
Raffi Frensley, marketing manager for the fair, said partnerships like this reflect the fair’s broader mission.
“Any time that we can make a space for groups like that whether it’s Animal Services, community services or outreach, these are all things that we want,” said Frensley. “We have an audience here. What better way to tap into that audience than showing up here and really connecting to where people are?”
Stay with News Channel 3 for the full story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.