Riverside County Animal Services says it’s making steady progress toward becoming a “no-kill” shelter system — but not everyone agrees the county is on the right track.

At Thursday’s Coachella Valley Animal Campus Commission meeting, officials announced that the county’s shelters have reached an 82 percent save rate, moving closer to the 90 percent benchmark that defines “no-kill” status.

But the milestone comes amid a mounting challenge: shelters are currently 230 percent over capacity.

Animal Services Director Mary Martin said the department is taking several steps to address overcrowding before considering new construction or expansion. Those steps include hiring 30 new employees, extending shelter hours to make adoptions more accessible, and partnering with PetSmart to increase off-site adoptions.

“Once we try those things — and if we’ve done everything there is to do and we’re still struggling for space — then we’re going to have to do something,” Martin said during the meeting.

Still, several animal welfare advocates expressed frustration during public comment, accusing the county of overstating its progress.

“The PR fluff is getting more and more aggressive,” said Lisa Blodgett, a local animal advocate. “Not much has changed for the animals. They’re not getting the medical care they need — they’re being killed. They should be under construction for more kennel space, and there are no plans for any.”

Some advocates are also calling for a third-party forensic audit of the county’s shelter statistics — an issue that is now part of a new lawsuit filed by the Walter Clark Legal Group.

Despite the tensions, there was some good news during the meeting. Local nonprofit Loving All Animals announced a major donation that could help relieve pressure on the county’s shelters.

CEO Michael Phipps Russell revealed that the organization has received the entire Cat Clinic of Desert Hot Springs as a donation from Dr. Diaz, who is retiring and has gifted her practice — along with her staff — to the nonprofit.

The clinic will soon offer low-cost spay and neuter services, vaccines, and microchipping for the public and local rescues.

Advocates hope this new resource will help ease overcrowding, even as debate continues over how Riverside County can achieve — and sustain — its “no-kill” goal.

Animal Advocates Question County’s Progress as Shelters Remain Over Capacity