A campaign focused on moving cats out of Riverside County animal shelters and into homes, sparing them from euthanasia due to space constraints and other limitations, is starting to take shape, officials said Tuesday.
The “5,000 Cats Challenge” is an effort to increase “live outcomes” for the hundreds of felines that end up in one of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services’ four shelters annually.
On Monday, the department hosted a panel discussion featuring multiple individuals who specialize in cat rescues and animal behavior. The chief topic was the county’s voluminous “intake” of cats and kittens last year and how to prevent large numbers of the domestic pets from becoming a strain on the shelters in the future.
“At this time, our staff is working closely with the visiting experts to outline plans to increase live outcomes for cats and kittens,” Department of Animal Services spokeswoman Kerri Mabee told City News Service. “The plan will … include removing barriers to adoption and increasing foster and spay/neuter opportunities.”