Fee-Waived Adoptions Begin Jan. 15

Riverside County’s animal shelters are offering fee-waived adoptions through Jan. 31 as part of a campaign to promote big dogs.

The Live Large campaign begins Saturday (Jan. 15).

Best Friends Animal Society launched the campaign and 20-some public shelters and nonprofit rescue organizations in California are participating.

Riverside County’s Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms are in the mix – with a twist.

Riverside County’s shelters had already been offering fee-waived adoptions for several weeks, thanks to a $50,000 grant from PetSmart Charities.

“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?”

Her point: all adopted animals can be adopted for free.

“All kidding aside, we appreciate the push by Best Friends Animal Society to raise awareness about the plight of bigger pooches. They are more difficult to adopt out compared to the smaller breeds. The big breeds are not always a person’s first choice.”

If the campaign creates a spike in big-dog adoptions, all the better, Youngberg said.

Adoption fees will be waived, but adopters will still have to pay for a dog license if the adopter lives in Riverside County Animal Services’ jurisdiction.