News from: Supervisor V. Manuel Perez

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors took a step in the direction of making Riverside County a “no-kill” community by passing a resolution co-written by Supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez.

The resolution, which was approved 5-0, expresses the County Supervisors’ commitment and no‑kill mission for county animal services. The discussion at today’s meeting turned to some of the steps, including funding in the next county budget, that will be important to helping the department and the community save as many dogs and cats in the shelters.

“This resolution took us a while to get here, to get to this space of a county coming together and understanding the gravity of the issue,” said Supervisor Perez. “There is a lot of work to be done, and that requires resources. I do feel strongly that we will need a larger budget when it comes to animal services in order for us to meet the demands, the concerns, the needs, of our pets and communities as well as the family members, the community members, the advocates.”

Supervisor Perez has taken on the issue of animal services and has led improvements to do better for animal welfare in the county and support pet owners with services that they need. This has included investing funding to have more spay and neuter clinics in unincorporated communities, in cities valley-wide and with the help of organizations that spay and neuter year‑round.

During the meeting, the County Executive Officer shared more ideas for moving towards this goal, including a request by the county animal services department to seek funding for 35 to 40 new positions for adoption efforts, foster and pet support programs. A longer‑term step can potentially involve a look at expanding the size of the animal shelters if conditions necessitate.

Supervisor Perez formed a Community Ad Hoc Committee of highly respected people from the animal services community in the Coachella Valley who are helping him guide these changes for the department.

Former Indian Wells Mayor Ty Peabody, who served nine years on the Coachella Valley Animal Campus Commission and is continuing on the commission as Supervisor Perez’s proxy, states, “In my opinion, this is a start in the right direction. This is not going to happen overnight and we need the public’s help to be successful. We’re looking at the hours, the staffing, and the proper marketing. In conjunction with that, we are meeting with all the city councils to bring them up to date on our progress.”

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services, one of the three largest animal shelter systems in the nation, is a safety net for animals that come through the doors, taking in animals that are turned away elsewhere. In this resolution, the county affirms the value of every life and is taking a meaningful step toward a more compassionate and humane community.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez represents the Fourth Supervisorial District on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The largest district in the county by geography, the 4^th District covers eastern Riverside County, from Whitewater, stretching across the entire Coachella Valley south to the Salton Sea, up Highway 74 to Idyllwild and the mountain communities, and heading east of the Coachella Valley to Blythe and the Colorado River.