It’s never too late to welcome a new member of the family. Even with the city of Santa Clarita’s Pet Adoption Week being moved to the summer, instead of being traditionally held in the fall, numerous residents visited Paw Palooza — or the grand finale — at the Newhall Community Center on Saturday.
The event was held in conjunction with the Santa Clarita Valley Animal Care Center, as well as other local vendors and volunteers. Dogs and cats were available for adoption, concluding the city’s week-long drive to find the furry friends a loving home as part of Pet Adoption Week.
In total, 27 animals were adopted during the week: 14 dogs and 13 cats.
“The city of Santa Clarita has been covering pet adoptions for city residents all week. It’s pet adoption week, then we do a closeout adoption event at the end of the year. We brought out six dogs, but the care center is open. We’re trying to get extra exposure and get the animals adopted,” said Kelsey Tarleton, volunteer programs coordinator for the center. “The turnout was amazing this morning. People were waiting before we even had our dogs here, so people were excited to see us.”
The city’s efforts to get the animals adopted included covering all the adoption fees; residents were only required to pay the licensing fees — $20 for dogs and $5 for cats.
“We could do the paperwork right here. They sign their adoption agreement, and they go home with their pet and a whole packet with the information,” Tarleton said. “We never know what we’re going to get. You can find all different kinds of different breeds, sizes, behavior, everything. There’s so much to choose from when you adopt from a care center.”
Ilyana Capellan, communications specialist for the city of Santa Clarita, discussed how important events like this are for bringing the community together — even in almost triple-digit weather.
“We love throwing city events like this because you get to see the city’s involvement. You get to see everybody come together. You see that love for one another, but also the dogs in our community — it’s important to make an emphasis that the dogs and cats are a part of our community,” Capellan said. “Our adoption events have great success, great turnouts. People love animals, and it really shows at events like this.”
Capellan discussed the changes the city implemented with the hope of being proactive in pet adoption.
“We focused on doing this event in the summer this year to help the care center clear the centers during their busiest times. We also have different animal-like vendors that are helping people not just adopt, but become aware of responsible pet ownership. The Santa Clarita Valley Animal Care Center is there six days a week, so we really encourage people to come by,” Capellan said. “I feel like when you adopt, you’re doing a lot more than just adopting an animal. You’re building that support for yourself, and you’re changing the life of an animal.”
