Ventura County Animal Shelter ends 2019 on high note
VENTURA, Calif. - The Ventura County Animal Shelter is ending 2019 on a high note.
Many people packed the shelter to adopt a pet, ringing in the new year with their new fury addition.
“Today has been crazy,” said Randy Friedman, marketing director at the Ventura County Animal Shelter. “I mean we are closing early today for new years eve, closing at 3 p.m., but we had two iguanas adopted, a whole bunch of dogs just left here, and a number of cats.”
Many people flocking to the Ventura County Animal Shelter to find an addition to their household before the new year. One animal that found a forever home had been in the shelter for more than a year.
“Actually two minutes before you got here I just got word that our little girl Macy just got adopted at the Simi Valley shelter,” said Friedman. “She came to us on the 27th of December last year and we are so happy for her.”
New Year's Eve capped off a successful year in adoption rates for a shelter that received more than 11,000 animals this year alone.
“We are considered a high intake shelter,” said Friedman. “I would say roughly 30 animals come into the shelter every day. We have had wonderful dog adoption. There has been 2,200 dogs have been adopted so far this year and 2,888 cats.”
People from all over the county stopped by looking to adopt.
“Just having the urge to get a new pet,” said Ryan Tischhauser, from Simi Valley. “It just clicks in your mind every now and then and you have to go.”
The shelter just announced a few days ago that it will be expanding in a big way.
“We are in the very preliminary stages right now of talking about a new shelter,” said Friedman. “We are no longer a pound and three-day holding shelter. Animals are here long term and we have outgrown the shelter. We need a new state of the art shelter.”
The shelter says no plans have been made just yet, but they are looking to start the process in the next couple of years.
