RivCo's Animal Shelters Lead Nation In Reductions Of Pet Euthanasia

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Animal Services division has seen the biggest drop in pet euthanasia in the nation over the past year, according to a recent report released by the Best Friends Animal Society.

In May 2025, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors took a step in the direction of making Riverside County a “no-kill” community for county animal services by passing a resolution co-written by Supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez.

Best Friends Animal Society data show that Riverside County achieved a 50.6 percent reduction in the number of shelter pets euthanized in 2025 compared with 2024. That is 1,700 more dogs and 860 more cats that were saved.

This also parallels the Riverside County Department of Animal Services annual report, which highlighted a 13 percent increase in animals adopted out of the shelters in 2025, according to a recent news release sent from Perez's office.

“These amazing results speak to all the work done to improve animal care in Riverside County,” Perez said. “Thank you to the Department of Animal Services staff for your efforts. We still have work to do and I am proud of this progress.”

He says he credits new initiatives that have been taken over the past year to find homes for shelter dogs and cats, which have been critical to tackling the challenging situations of overcrowding at animal shelters, an issue all animal shelters in the nation face.

On Saturday, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services will participate in California Adopt-a-Pet Day with zero adoption fees at all three shelter locations.

Community members are invited to visit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to meet loving dogs and cats looking for new homes. Adoptions include spay/neuter, microchip, and the pet’s first set of vaccines. California Adopt-a-Pet Day is hosted by CalAnimals, SF SPCA, and the ASPCA.

Still, many of Riverside County's shelters are at maximum capacity. This month, take advantage of the zero adoption fees available for pets at these shelters:

Coachella Valley Animal Campus
72-050 Pet Land Place
Thousand Palms, CA 92276

San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus
581 S. Grand Ave.
San Jacinto, CA 92582

Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter
6851 Van Buren Blvd.
Jurupa Valley, CA 92509