288 Dogs Needing Homes, OC Animal Care Shelter Opens Doors To Public

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — After three years of waiting, the Orange County Animal Care shelter reopened its doors to the public in an effort to place an abundance of rescues with their forever homes.

The reopening of the shelter to the public is a part of two pilot programs the shelter is launching. The programs come as the shelter battles with its at-capacity status, with hundreds of cats and dogs needing homes.

As of Wednesday, there were 288 dogs eagerly waiting to be adopted in their kennels, 28 percent higher than the same time last year, CBS News reported. The pilot programs are a means to lower that number.

The programs, Kennel Connection and Littles on the Lawn, launched on Wednesday. The programs will take place together every Wednesday and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the OC Animal Care shelter in Tustin, according to the agency's website.

“These were designed specifically in the areas that we either had heard feedback from our community or it was something that in past years we had done one time and thought was really successful,” OC Animal Care spokesperson Jackie Tran told the Orange County Register.

Residents who visit the OC Animal Care shelter during the times and dates mentioned above will have the opportunity to view ready-to-adopt dogs in their kennels.

Alternatively, the Littles on the Lawn program will include a space where residents can meet once-nervous small pups that have graduated from OC Animal Care's TLC and Little Dog Play Group programs into confident companions ready to find their forever family.

For more information on adopting a dog from OC Animal Care, visit the county's website.

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Like shelters up and down the state, the OC Animal Care is at capacity with hundreds of cats and dogs needing homes. As of Wednesday, there are 288 dogs eagerly waiting in their kennels, 28% higher than the same time last year. Pet advocates have been critical of the facility about a lack of access to animals and a requirement for appointments.
Officials said the policy was implemented at the beginning of the pandemic and continued due to staffing issues as well as expert advice.
"Experts tell us that the return rate is a lot lower when you have to take the time and look online, and peruse all the different animals and meet with one of our ambassadors," said OC Supervisor Katrina Foley.