Fourth of July festivities often come with firework-filled skies, sparklers and cookouts — a joyous holiday for most people. But for hundreds of animals, the spectacle can be stressful and frightening.
The city of Santa Clarita, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Castaic Animal Care Center, hosted a pet adoption day Saturday morning at Valencia Heritage Park following a post-holiday influx of animals at the shelter.
Animal Control Officer Kelsey Tarleton said that since the shelter runs busier after the Fourth of July, the city wanted to partner up and host the event in hopes of lowering the number of animals and to convince people to adopt animals, rather than shop.
“They invited us out here to the park, and they provided equipment for us and they’re out here with us, supporting us,” Tarleton said. “People don’t understand just how many people are breeding animals. Animals are constantly coming into shelters, and they’re homeless pets. They need love, too.”
The event gave residents the opportunity to meet and play with some of the animals on one of the park’s grassy areas, before deciding to adopt. Most of the adoption fees were also waived, aside from a $20 license fee.
SCV residents, like Chris and Tish Yahnker, came out to the event hoping to have a new addition to their family, and to have a friend for one of their senior pets at home.
“We have an older dog who’s kind of at the twilight of her life, so we’re looking to potentially get a new dog to help her through her last few months or whatever,” Chris Yahnker said. “The way we’ve always looked at it, even sometimes if it’s only a few good months of his life, at least we give him a second chance and give them a good home for a while.”
Tish Yahnker said that she felt bad for a lot of the animals who end up in the shelters and wanted to do what she could for them.
“There’s so many animals that are put down every day. It’s sad,” Tish Yahnker said. “I just want to rescue them.”
Tarleton said that while some people might have not been able to come out to the event, they can still swing by the Castaic Animal Care Center, Mondays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
