Shelter Seeks Donations to Continue Finding Homes for Pets

As the year comes to a close, the Redlands Animal Shelter is looking for donors who can help subsidize the rising cost of spaying and neutering animals for adoption. In 2012, the shelter found homes for 963 dogs and 456 cats. Adoptions for 2013 are on pace to equal the 2012 numbers. While space at the shelter, located at 504 N. Kansas St., is limited, the Animal Shelter — a division of the Redlands Police Department — endeavors to find homes for every adoptable animal it takes in. “The Redlands Animal Shelter takes in hundreds of dogs and cats every year,” said Animal Control Supervisor Bill Miller. “We want to find good homes for all of them. By keeping the cost of adopting a pet reasonable, we have encouraged hundreds of adoptions. These are animals that have been taken off the streets and placed in loving homes.” In order to cut down on the number of unwanted pets, all animals adopted from the Redlands Animal Shelter are spayed or neutered before they are released to their new owners. The adoption fees paid by the new owners cover only a portion of the cost of the surgery, which can vary from $49 for a feline neuter to more than $120 to spay a large dog. In order to continue to encourage adoptions, the Redlands Animal Shelter subsidizes a substantial portion of the adoption costs to keep fees modest for new pet owners. The fee for a dog adoption is $85, including $50 for the spay/neuter surgery and $23 for vaccinations and $50 for cats, including $28 for the surgery and $15 for vaccinations. Senior citizens and disabled persons pay a lower fee. The shelter spends an estimated $3,000 a month or more covering the cost of the surgery beyond the fees charged. Last year, many of these costs were covered by generous community donations. Donations will allow the Redlands Animal Shelter to continue to find good homes for hundreds of dogs and cats each year. Your year-end donations may be tax-deductible. Contact your financial advisor for more information. To make a donation, contact the Redlands Animal Shelter at 909-798-7644.