Record numbers at animal shelters after Fourth of July

By Michele Willer-Allred
July 07, 2015 – Ventura County Star
Seventy-seven dogs were impounded at the Camarillo and
Simi Valley animal shelters over the Fourth of July weekend,
leaving Ventura County Animal Services with the largest
number of animals on record at both shelters.
More than 500 dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and chickens were
housed at the shelters as of Monday afternoon, the large
number mainly attributed to their “no-kill” status.
“That’s an all-time high for us. It’s just heartbreaking,” said
VCAS Director Tara Diller.
Last year, 80 dogs were impounded at the shelters during the
three-day Fourth of July weekend, and only 29 of them were
reunited with their owners. As of Monday afternoon, 22 of this
year’s 77 dogs have been returned to their owners.
If the owners can’t be tracked through the animal’s license,
collar or microchip, the shelters can legally adopt out that
animal after four days, not including the impound date. If the
owner is found, VCAS will hold the animal for 10 days.
Pets reunited with their owners can get microchipped for free
until Aug. 1.
VCAS has also started a “#Freedom100” promotion, where all
animal adoptions, including puppies and kittens, are $10
through July 11.
Old penalties and fines will also be forgiven until Aug. 31 if a
pet owner obtains a new license or renews a license. A free
pet food pantry is also available every Sunday at both
shelters.
Diller said that typically, shelters see a 30 percent increase in
the number of animals coming in over the Fourth of July
holiday. Animal control officials blame fireworks: Terrified by
the loud blasts, the dogs bolt through open doors, jump fences
or dig their way out of yards.
VCAS tries to pre-empt those numbers by offering free
microchipping of animals so their owners can easily be found
the next day.
Diller said that many of the dogs impounded over the weekend
are purebreds, with a corgi, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, a
Maltese, a German shepherd, and a boxer among those
found.
She credited social media and efforts among various missingpet
and rescue groups throughout the county with keeping the
impound numbers lower than they could have been.
“We’re posting animals as they were coming in on Facebook,
and the groups would cross-post on their pages, and we were
able to reunite a lot of lost animals before they even made it to
the shelter,” Diller said.
Dog Days Search & Rescue in Simi Valley, for example,
diverted 25 dogs from reaching the shelter, with 19 of them
reunited with their owners and six placed in foster homes. The
organization worked with Simi Valley Missing Pets and
Moorpark Missing Pets.
VCAS also has a phone app where people can see if their lost
pet is at the shelter. Pet owners can also register their lost pet
for free on www.petharbor.com and get notifications from
animal shelters if an animal matching the description is found.
Diller said that next year, VCAS is planning to work with
organizers of fireworks shows so they can get the word out on
how pet owners can keep their animals safe and whom to
contact in case their animals are lost.
She also said that VCAS is looking for volunteers to help out
at the shelter and to serve as foster families, helping to empty
the kennels and give the animals a stress-free environment.
People can also sponsor an animal for adoption or donate
funds for animals receiving medical care.
Even with these efforts, some animals end up staying a long
time at the shelter, Diller said. One dog that was impounded
last year on July Fourth is still waiting for adoption.
“It’s pretty unbelievable, but sadly we see it often,” Diller said.
“It’s important though that people shouldn’t give up finding
their animals,” said VCAS Deputy Director Donna Gillesby.
“Someone may be holding their pet somewhere, and they
should continue to check if we received