Locals looking to add a furry family member to their home can visit one of the 65 animal shelters in the County participating in this year’s Clear The Shelters event on Aug. 18-19.
The animal shelters, including Santa Monica, are discounting animal adoptions to $20 as part of an annual effort to encourage potential pet owners to pick a rescue animal and help decrease the number of pets living in shelters.
Sponsored by NBC4 Southern California / KNBC and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles / KVEA, the event has successfully found homes for more than 150,000 pets since 2015. Last year more than 11,500 pets were adopted as part of the event.
“The impact Clear the Shelters has made locally is unparalleled as we go into the fourth year of this successful adoption drive,” said NBC4 President and General Manager Steve Carlston in a statement. “Every year the stations’ total adoptions surpass the year prior, and we look forward to doing it again as we help shelters alleviate overpopulation and make adoptions affordable for all families.”
On Saturday, August 18, dogs and cats 4 years old and under will be $20. Dogs and cats 5 years old and over will be free to adopt in Los Angeles shelters. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Sunday, August 19, Los Angeles shelters will have a special promotion with the Pet Care Foundation. Their dogs 5 years and older will be $52 to adopt and cats 5 years and older will be free to adopt. They are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
A $20 dog license fee will be applied for LA City residents.
The Santa Monica Animal Shelter will be offering $20 adoptions as part of the event and residents will still have to local pet license of about $40 for a spayed/neutered pet. Registration fees cover vaccines, microchipping and spay/neutering.
"Adoption is one of the best ways to save pets and enrich our own lives with a loving companion," said Celia Chavez, President and General Manager, Telemundo 52 Los Angeles in a statement. “We remain committed to help find good homes for thousands of shelter animals."
but officials said it’s important to match the right pet to the right family and if that means Santa Monicans find their new pet from a nearby shelter, that’s fine.
Shelter workers will be available to provide advice to potential new pet owners to help humans find the animal that’s best for them.
Potential owners should bring some kind of identification with them if they plan to adopt from a shelter and should have safe transport to bring the animal home. People are also encouraged to bring their own equipment such as leashes or crates that can help begin the transition from shelter to home.
The Santa Monica Animal Shelter is a division of the city’s police department. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and houses dogs, cats, horses, birds, rabbits and small reptiles. Aside from adoptions, the shelter also investigates complaints regarding animals, regulates dog parks, investigates animal cruelty complaints, enforces state animal control laws, handles pet licenses and provides emergency shelter for pets in a natural disaster.
The Santa Monica Animal Shelter located at 1640 9th St. For more information visit NBCLA.com/cleartheshelters and Telemundo52.com/desocuparlosalbergues, www.santamonicapd.org/animals or www.petharbor.com.
editor@smdp.com
