Mary Martin marks a year as Animal Services Director, as county works towards no-kill status
Athena Jreij
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s been over a year since Mary Martin took over the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
Martin came into the role as the county recorded high euthanasia rates across four shelters, with a live-release rate of 71.6% in 2024. Data from the county shows the live-release rate has increased to 81% this year.
It comes as the county is working towards a 90% live-release rate to achieve a ‘no-kill’ status.
“Overall, we’re still trending the right way. This morning when I looked at live-release for the dogs, overall, we’re almost at 90, just under. Can we hold it? I don’t know. It will depend,” Martin said.
Martin credits the progress to more hires, with 17 new veterinarians on staff, transfer flights, 4,000 more spay and neuters in 2025, and increased adoption initiatives.
However, some kennels are still packed and the shelters remain at over 200-percent capacity constantly.
Some activists say the answer is more housing. Martin questions that, but says the county is working on a survey about increasing housing.
“There definitely is a conversation there. When people build housing without programs, then they fill up and we’re right back where we were. We have got to build the infrastructure to go with that space,” she said.
She says a larger issue is the length of stay for animals, who have a lower chance of adoption if they stay at shelters longer than 21 days.
Over the next year, Martin says their focus is finding new adoption programs to shorten length of stays, marketing, and increasing return-to-owner rates.