Assemblyman Marc Steinorth hosting pet adoptions at Redlands, Rancho and Devore shelters

By Liset Marquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts

Assemblyman Marc Steinorth, R-Rancho Cucamonga, has introduced legislation that would reduce a tax for people who adopt pets from nonprofit animal shelters.

To bring awareness to his bill and the plight of shelters statewide, Steinorth is holding the #Steinorth100 free pet adoption fair Aug. 28-30 at the Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga and Devore animal shelters.

Steinorth will cover the adoption fees for the first 100 pets at each shelter. The Humane Society of the United States and Animals Are First Fund, or ARFF, are event co-sponsors.

“Rancho Cucamonga and Redlands have worked very diligently to be low-kill shelters and are striving toward a no-kill goal,” Steinorth said. “Unfortunately, there’s more work that can be done.”

Redlands Friends of Shelter Animals, the non-profit that works with the Redlands Animal Shelter daily to get homeless pets adopted, supports any effort that encourages people to adopt pets from city shelters, according to an emailed statement from the group.

“In our experience discounted adoption fee/high-volume adoption events have always been highly successful within the Redlands community,” according to the statement. “It is a great tactic to bring more people to an adoption event, especially when our shelter is almost always over capacity. It helps us adopt out animals who are not as easily adoptable as others (such as older animals, common breeds like Chihuahuas/pit bulls and black dogs/cats).”

Steinorth said the Devore animal shelter also needs the public’s assistance.

“As a regional shelter destination they are inundated with animals of all types and really, harnessing the power of animal lovers like myself to reach out and find our fur-ever friends at a shelter rather than a store will assist immeasurably.”

The goal of the bill, AB 976, is to not only help homeless pets find “forever” homes, but also to alleviate the financial burden shelters can be on local governments, Steinorth said.

“Our local governments and county governments spend $120 million a year maintaining animal shelters,” he said.

People who adopt a pet four years and older or a cat from a nonprofit animal shelter or rescue would be eligible for a tax reduction of up to $100.

Shelter overcrowding also leads to increased euthanasia rates.

About 3.4 million dogs and cats were euthanized nationwide in 2013 and about 2.7 million adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

The bill, supported by the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has passed the Assembly. It will be heard in the state Senate Appropriations Committee by the end of August.

Steinorth said his bill has received bipartisan support.

“A lot of these different groups have really jumped on board and really support it,” he said.

Brian Cronin, chief of San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control, said he appreciates this adoption event being a collaboration with Redlands and Rancho Cucamonga.

“Both the Redlands and Rancho Cucamonga shelters have helped us in the past by taking in adoptable pets if we have a large-scale cruelty case or animal abuse case,” Cronin said.

Cronin said they try to make sure people know if they don’t find the pet they are looking for at the county’s shelters that they should look at Redlands, Rancho or other shelters in the county.

He also said those who cannot make it to Steinorth’s event will have an opportunity to adopt a pet at any of the shelter’s weekly off-site adoption events.

“We view this as a wonderful opportunity to partner with our neighboring agencies, our neighboring shelters and to bring awareness to the many highly desirable and adoptable pets that each of our shelters have,” Cronin said.

Steinorth said his goal is to replicate these type of adoption events up and down the state with other legislators hosting.

The free pet adoptions will cover the cost of pet sterilization, initial vaccinations and microchip for the first 100 dogs and cats adopted.

Steinorth held a similar pet adoption drive in the spring at the Rancho Cucamonga animal shelter.

Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care and Services Center Director Veronica Fincher said the event was a huge success. The three-day fair led to 52 adoptions.

“For us, that was exceptionally high,” Fincher said. “April is typically slow and we practically doubled our monthly figures. It was really successful.”

The event this month also comes at a critical juncture for the shelter, Fincher said.

Typically the shelter has between 250 and 300 pets, but during the summer months that figure jumps to more than 450, she said.

A huge incentive for those who are considering adopting animals is the fact that the fees are covered, she said.

“We had such a great experience that we’re looking forward to this event,” she said. “When we had the 52 adoptions it was great to see the open kennels, knowing that animals that had been at the shelter for a long time … were adopted. All of us were excited and happy.”

The Redlands Animal Shelter, at 504 Kansas St., will be open for adoptions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Rancho Cucamonga Animal Care & Adoption Center, at 11780 Arrow Route, will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Devore Animal Shelter, at 19777 Shelter Way, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Read the full story at The San Bernardino Sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Liset covers the cities of Upland, Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga as well as LA/Ontario International Airport. Reach the author at liset.marquez@langnews.com or follow Liset on Twitter: @JournaLiset.

Sandra covers the city of Redlands. Reach the author at sandra.emerson@langnews.com or follow Sandra on Twitter: @TheFactsSandra.

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