Dog Adoption Fees Waived Starting Saturday At RivCo Shelters

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Department of Animal Services will waive dog adoption fees starting Saturday and for the remainder of January.

The move is part of the Live Large campaign, launched by the Best Friends Animal Society, to promote adoption of larger dogs, which often have more difficulty being adopted, according to officials.

The Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, however, will be waiving adoptions for all dogs regardless of size.

"We're happy to be part of the Live Large campaign, but our definition of a large dog will be very liberal," said Kim Youngberg, an Animal Services deputy director overseeing programs and operations. "If someone tells us that a Chihuahua looks big to them, who are we to argue?"

Adoption fees will be waived until Jan. 31, but adopters will still need to purchase a dog license.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services has three shelters offering adoptions:

• Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren Blvd., Jurupa Valley, CA 92509
• Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, CA 92276
• Blythe Animal Shelter, 245 S. Carlton, Blythe, CA 92225