Riverside County Participates in Home 4 the Holidays Push
Special adoption rates are now in effect at all four Riverside County animal shelters.
Riverside County Animal Services is offering the lower adoption fees through Dec. 31st – $65 or all dogs and puppies and $45 for all cats and kittens – as a way to promote the national “Home 4 the Holidays” campaign. The adoption fees are normally $95 and $75 for dogs/puppies and cats/kittens, respectively.
Years ago many nonprofit and municipal shelters would close before the Christmas holiday to discourage people getting a pet as a present, said Lori Neddermann, an Animal Services operations chief.
“The theory was that many of these pet presents would end up back at the shelter a week after Christmas,” Neddermann said.
However, the employees at many of these same shelters are now promoting a pet adoption during this time of year. But there is also a stronger message presented about the responsibilities that come with a new four-legged family member.
In 1999, the Rancho Santa Fe-based Helen Woodward Animal Center initiated the Home 4 the Holidays push with 14 other San Diego-area animal shelter organizations. The drive runs from early October to the first week in January. Now more than 3,000 organizations participate, including Riverside County Animal Services. During the adoption drive last year, more than 491,000 pets entered loving homes.
“The holidays are a wonderful time to open your heart to a homeless animal,” Neddermann said.
To learn more about Home 4 the Holidays, click on this link: http://www.animalcenter.org/home4theholidays