Santa Cruz Co. Animal Shelter Drops 'Owner Surrender' Fees

PHOTO: Up for adoption now at SCCAS: Toto, a very nice little guy and ready to be someone’s forever true love. See more here.

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Starting today the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) is eliminating “owner surrender fees.”

Owner surrender fees are usually charged upon surrendering an animal to the shelters, and can range from $10 to $100 depending on the species. By waiving this fee altogether, the shelter aims to prevent pets from being abandoned, killed, or hastily given away through social media.

“SCCAS deals with countless cases of animal abandonment each year,” SCCAS General Manager Melanie Sobel said in a statement. “We want to eliminate any possible deterrent that will prevent animals from ending up at a safe haven.”

This decision comes after a tragic incident earlier this year, when the SCCAS Animal Control Officers discovered that someone had sealed two dogs, a mother and a puppy, in sand bags while alive and had thrown them from a moving vehicle near the dump, shelter officials say. The puppy died from head trauma but the mother survived. She was named Beverly by shelter staff and later adopted into a good home.

SCCAS, which usually takes in about $23,000 each year from owner surrender fees, will no longer have that source of income. However, the shelter organization has also established the “Beverly Fund”, which the public can help donate to in order to offset the costs of housing and caring for unwanted pets.

Those interested in donating can do so at www.scanimalshelter.org/donate. The waived owner surrender fees are applicable to all domesticated animals including horses, goats, pigs, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, dogs, and cats.

There are two locations, one in 2200 Seventh Ave., Santa Cruz, and another in 580 Airport Blvd., Watsonville.

“Living beings shouldn’t be treated like garbage and we’re committed to preventing more of these tragedies,” Sobel said.

--Bay City News