Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved funding to reopen the San Jacinto animal shelter to the public after it was shuttered in 2020 due to budgetary concerns.
While the facility has provided animal control services to unincorporated areas of the county, the $3.4 million budget adopted and ratified by the Board on June 20 will now allow for a fuller spectrum of public amenities to include licensing, sheltering, fostering, and adoption opportunities.
“We are very pleased with this news and are working quickly to open the shelter and provide assistance to our mid-county residents and their pets,” Riverside County Department of Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. “Reopening the shelter will improve the Department of Animal Services’ ability to provide comprehensive services to people and their pets in the mid-county area. It’s an important step in addressing the overcrowding of our shelters here in Riverside County, much as we have seen across the nation.”
A projected timeline for opening the facility with expanded capabilities is slated for later in the fall, but Gettis and her team are currently working to recruit staff and reaching out to mid-county residents regarding services.
Staff at the shelter will include animal control officers, animal care, and shelter operations. Veterinary care is also being explored at the facility to support the growing public interest for services.
