Shelter Hours Reduced at Coachella Valley Animal Campus
The hours of operation are changing at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, Animal Services Director Robert Miller announced Wednesday.
“This decision is directly related to the ongoing budget issues the county of Riverside is facing,” Miller said. “We’re not happy to make this announcement, but in light of the ongoing budgetary shortfall, the Department of Animal Services is forced to make some tough decisions.
”This is one of them.”
The hours have been reduced to:
Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Department of Animal Services’ budget decreased by approximately $5 million during the past 18 to 24 months. This figure is represented by the Department absorbing some costs on its own, making the mandated cuts required by the Board of Supervisors and seeing some loss in revenues.
The new, shorter, shelter hours in Thousand Palms are going to present some challenges to residents trying to adopt or get reunited with their stray pets, Miller acknowledged. But when the state and county budgets make a comeback, Miller said he is hopeful the shelter will return to its longer-hours schedule.
Not too long ago – as recently as 2008 – the Coachella Valley Animal Campus ran a seven-day-a-week schedule. Until today’s announcement, the shelter opened at 10 a.m. each weekday and stayed opened until 6 p.m. on every weekday except Wednesdays, when the shelter closed at 7 p.m. The former Saturday hours were 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Coachella Valley Animal Campus serves Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, as well as the unincorporated areas of the Coachella Valley.
A letter about this sad news was sent to representatives of the affected cities, Miller said.