Adopt Your New Family Member at the Castaic Animal Care Center!

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” – Karen Davison

Throughout my life, I have always fought for and raised rescue animals, both big and small. From the donkeys whom I have been rehabilitating for the past few years at my home, to the cat sanctuary I built at the Castaic Animal Care Center, I have dedicated much of my life to supporting and saving these vulnerable four-legged friends. As a community with a local animal care center just minutes away, adopting these animals is crucial for their lives.

Every adoption creates a ripple effect that allows our animal care center to accommodate more animals in need, giving them a chance at happiness and finding their ‘furever’ homes. Animal centers across the nation often struggle with limited space and resources, so by adopting, you are decreasing overcrowded cages and allowing more animals to find their new family. When you adopt locally, you also contribute to the larger goal of raising awareness about animal welfare. Your decision to bring a rescued pet into your life sends a powerful message that adoption is a responsible, ethical and an important choice. That decision can then inspire others to consider adoption as well, which will gradually shift the cultural perspective on pet ownership from buying to adoption. This can help change the way people view adoption and ultimately have a significant impact on reducing the demand for breeding.

The city of Santa Clarita is proud to partner with the local Castaic Animal Care Center to help get as many animals adopted as possible. Located off of Charlie Canyon Road in Castaic, this center has dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, and occasionally horses, iguanas, and more – all desperately looking for a home. To help raise awareness, we are currently planning a Pet Adoption Week in November. Throughout the week, adoption fees will be waived for residents at the Castaic Animal Care Center, and the City’s social media will feature available dogs and cats that you can adopt. Additionally, on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bouquet Canyon Park, we will partner with the Animal Care Center to host an adoption event. Dogs and cats will be on-site and available for residents to come, meet the animals and hopefully, adopt one!

When you bring a rescue pet into your home, you are now providing them with a chance at a better life. Many rescue animals have faced hard times before finding their way to an animal care center. Your choice to adopt gives them a loving home and a chance to experience the joy of companionship, one they may have never known before. You can be part of the ultimate transformation that happens when you see a scared animal behind a steel cage turn into a loyal pet who becomes confident and happy. These animals will give you unconditional love every day and where else would you find this type of love with no questions asked? This sense of fulfillment is a rewarding experience, and one that is unique and heartwarming, both for the owner and the pet.

Adoption has a profound impact, not only personally but community-wide. By choosing to adopt, you are helping alleviate overpopulation, supporting the well-being of your community, promoting responsible pet ownership and providing a loving home to a pet in need. This decision goes beyond just one pet, but contributes to a brighter future for all. To learn more about animals that are available to adopt, please visit animalcare.lacounty.gov. More information on the City’s Pet Adoption Week will be released in the next couple of months. We are the stewards of their future and their lives and we can make it better with the simple decision to adopt. Please make room in your heart for one of these forever amazing fur critters. Please follow the City’s social media platforms or visit SantaClarita.gov for updates.

Councilmember Laurene Weste is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at lweste@santa-clarita.com.