Pet Adoption Fees Waived As County Animal Shelters Near Capacity

SAN DIEGO, CA — Pet adoption fees are waived this month as shelters are nearing capacity at San Diego County's Department of Animal Services.

There are only a handful of kennels available for dogs at both the Bonita and Carlsbad shelters, according to the department.

"This is an urgent plea. We need the public's help to get some of these really great dogs and cats into homes, even temporarily," said Kelly Campbell, director of the Department of Animal Services. "We typically take in a dozen or more stray dogs a day and the average stay for each dog is more than two months, so that space we have available right now may be gone by the end of the day."

As of Friday, there were 148 dogs in Bonita and 105 dogs in Carlsbad and more than 100 cats of different ages at each shelter, Campbell said.

In an effort to encourage pet adoptions, the department has waived adoption fees this month for all animals. The department is also seeking foster families for dogs, even short-term fosters.

"We have a lot of really nice dogs in care that have lived with families before and some that know some commands," Campbell said.

The Bonita shelter is at 5821 Sweetwater Road and the Carlsbad shelter is at 2481 Palomar Airport Road. The shelters are open from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.