My office works closely with the Department of Animal Care and Control to ensure that we are doing everything we can to find safe, loving homes for animals. Our County Care Centers face challenges with shelter capacity and overcrowding like many shelters nationwide. Animal Care and Control has been working to combat these challenges and I’m proud of the programs they’ve implemented to place animals into permanent homes. Even with those efforts underway, the county still relies on our community to lend a helping hand.

Thankfully, we have many supporters who are getting involved. At this week’s Board meeting, I honored incredible community partners who are doing their part to support our four-legged friends. First, we celebrated NBC4 and Telemundo 52 for the Clear the Shelters campaign. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the campaign, which surpassed 1 million all-time adoptions last year! In 2023, more than 150 NBC and Telemundo stations teamed up with 1,400 shelters and rescues nationwide. I encourage our communities to tune in for the campaign from Aug. 10 to Sept. 10 this year. To celebrate, our County Care Centers are reducing adoption fees to just $10!

We also celebrated a fantastic group of students from the Santa Clarita Valley. Combining their love of running and of furry friends, the West Ranch High School cross country team has partnered with our Castaic Care Center to take dogs on runs with them. The exciting effort promotes dogs while also getting them much-needed exercise and enriching their lives with time to explore outside. Though the Run with Dogs program is fairly new, it’s already helped find forever homes for 10 dogs! I am so proud of what these thoughtful students have accomplished. Their work is truly making an impact to help animals in need, especially in our North County Care Centers where so many large dogs are awaiting loving families.

I’m thankful for the animal adoption advocates who are making a difference in ways big and small across our County. If you’d like to get involved, click here to volunteer with our care centers, donate, or find your perfect pet.

Kathryn Barger represents the Fifth Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County which is home to nearly two million people. The district covers 2,785.21 square miles and includes the Santa Clarita Valley.