Riverside County Animal Shelters See Major Turnaround Under New Leadership

What a difference a year makes. Riverside County’s animal shelters—once at the center of controversy for high euthanasia rates and lack of transparency—are now seeing signs of real transformation under new leadership.

At Thursday's Coachella Valley Animal Campus Commission meeting, attendees described the shift as “night and day.” The reason? Mary Martin, the newly appointed Director of Animal Services, who has been in the role for just over four months.

Martin has already rolled out changes aimed at increasing adoptions and improving transparency. One of the most impactful moves came last weekend, when the San Jacinto shelter extended its hours until midnight. Nearly 190 animals were adopted—most after normal business hours.

“We really have to embrace that it is our job to make animals available when people are available to see them,” Martin said.

Starting this week, shelter hours have been extended to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday as part of a broader initiative called RIVCO Rise, a rebranding effort to move the county toward becoming a no-kill system.

Supervisor Manuel Perez voiced strong support for Martin’s direction, advocating for nearly $5 million in additional funding to expand staffing and support shelter goals.

Shelter consultant Kristen Haasen presented early data showing euthanasia rates are already declining. Two years ago, over 1,300 cats were euthanized by this point in the year—now that number is under 400. Dog euthanasia has also dropped significantly, from more than 1,200 to fewer than 700.

While Riverside County is not yet a no-kill system, the progress is visible and encouraging.

This weekend, offsite adoption events will be held at PetSmart and Petco locations in Palm Desert and La Quinta. All adoption fees are currently waived to help reduce shelter populations. It’s the perfect time to give a pet a second chance—and bring home a new best friend.

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