More than 40 shelter animals were transported out of Riverside County over the weekend as part of a continued effort to reduce overcrowding and increase pet adoptions.
The flight, arranged through a partnership between the Riverside County Department of Animal Services and Wings of Rescue, took 20 dogs and 28 cats to Seattle Humane and the Progressive Animal Welfare Society in Washington state on Sunday.
Shelter officials said the move helps free up limited kennel space as the department remains critically over capacity. Some dogs are housed three to five per kennel in spaces built for two.
Additionally, to help get more pets into homes, adoption and reclaim fees are currently waived at all county-run shelter locations.
“These lifesaving flights are one of many components to saving more lives, and that includes community-focused solutions to get pets into homes,” said Daylin Valencia, the department’s manager. “I’m always proud to see staff come together to give these pets a pathway out of the shelter.”
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A dog in a kennel prepares for its flight to Washington State as part of a relocation effort to ease overcrowding in Riverside County on July 27, 2025. (Riverside County Department of Animal Services) -
A cat in a kennel prepares for its flight to Washington State as part of a relocation effort to ease overcrowding in Riverside County on July 27, 2025. (Riverside County Department of Animal Services)
In addition to adoption, officials are urging residents to consider short-term fostering. Programs like Dog Day Out allow people to take dogs on one-day outings, which data shows significantly increases adoption chances. Another program, Ticket to Ride, places pets in homes for two to four weeks before they’re transferred to another shelter or adopter.
“RivCo pets deserve our best efforts, and we are moving to meet every opportunity to save more lives,” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “Flying pets to other states is no small effort, and we are committed to moving closer to our goal of becoming a no-kill community every single day.”
More information about fostering or adopting is available at rcdas.org.
This is the latest flight organized this year by RCDAS to address overcrowding in the shelters. Dozens of animals were previously transported to shelters in Utah, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas in June, 27 long-stay dogs flown to Michigan in April, and dozens more flown to New York in March.
Riverside County officials say more than 6,200 adoptable dogs and cats were flown to partner agencies in the U.S. and Canada in 2024 alone.