Adopt a cat or big dog to help reduce pet homelessness

MORE than 400 animals in care at County shelters in Bonita and Carlsbad are waiting for adopters or fosters!

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, but county shelters continue to care for a high inventory of medium- to large- dogs, so the department is promoting both this month. Instead of the normal adoption fees for cats and big dogs, County Department of Animal Services staff are asking people to donate to a fund that provides access to affordable spay/neuter services for pet owners experiencing financial hardship.

All cats and big dogs will be vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped. A dog license will be included as well.

As a result of a 65% increase in animals at the county’s shelters, medium- to-large dogs are living at shelters longer than normal. The average stay for one of these dogs is now 60 days, and some dogs have been at the shelter for more than a year.

Scientific studies have shown that animals have a beneficial effect on people’s physical and mental health – and while not noted, it surely has a u PAGE 11