OC Animal Care is expanding its adoption visit protocols, adding times for the public to walk through the county shelter’s kennels without an appointment starting Jan. 17.
The shelter closed to public viewing with the onset of the pandemic, but didn’t resume access to the kennels even as most coronavirus precautions were lifted. Instead, potential adopters have been choosing animals they are interested in from an online database that are brought up from the kennels for meet-and-greets; officials have said this has reduced stress on the animals and helped prevent visitors from getting bitten.
Animal activists, however, have argued the system is constricting and kept many animals from being adopted, crowding the shelter, and have been lobbying for changes. A grand jury had the same concerns in a 2023 report about not maximizing the potential for animals to be adopted.
Over the summer the shelter piloted limited walk-through hours.
Now, between 2 and 5 p.m. each day, members of the public will be about to walk unescorted through the external side of dog kennels and cat rooms, officials said. The kennels contain dogs and cats who are available for adoption and can be taken home the same day.
And the shelter will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the scheduled adoption appointments for the one-on-one meetings with animals that visitors are interested in adopting. Walk-ins would be given the next available slot on the schedule, officials said.
“We’re excited to promote a balance between smart, effective programming that has proven to increase the permanent placement of shelter pets, with that of community interest in viewing the animals at OC Animal Care,” Third District Supervisor Don Wagner said in a statement. “Whether you prefer a scheduled adoption visit for a personalized experience or walking through kennels during viewing hours to see animals ready to go home with you that very same day, this adjustment to their operational model shows OC Animal Care’s commitment to serving the needs of people and pets right here in Orange County.”
More information on adoption options can be found at ocpetinfo.com/DailyAdoptionOptions.
