OC Animal Care expands drop-in hours and introduces programs to improve adoption, return rates ...Middle East

OC Animal Care is expanding its adoption drop-in hours on the weekends, and is introducing free virtual pet training and quarterly adoption events starting Jan. 25.

The goal of the additional walkthrough hours and other two pilot programs is to get more pets adopted and improve animal return rates, said OCAC Director Monica Schmidt.

The shelter closed to public viewing with the onset of the pandemic and didn’t immediately resume open access to the kennels as coronavirus precautions were lifted. Potential adopters, instead, scrolled through available pets online and set up an appointment for meet-and-greets. Activists have argued this system was constricting and kept many animals from being adopted, shelter officials said the meet-and-greets were better for connecting adopters with the right pet for them and preventing stress among the kenneled animals.

Last year, the shelter allowed the public to walk unescorted through selected dog kennels and cat rooms for three hours a day, still encouraging the scheduled appointments as well. Now, the public can access the kennels without an appointment on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and the 2 to 5 p.m. window already available on weekdays.

“Our numbers show that the largest percentage of dogs are adopted using pre-scheduled visits,” Schmidt said. “Saturdays and Sundays are when we see an increase in families who are dropping by the shelter.”

In six months, shelter staff will review adoption trends to see how the expansion of drop-in hours is affecting adoption rates, Schmidt said.

Also, the county shelter was awarded a $75,000 grant from California for All Animals that will allow families who adopt a dog from OCAC to receive free virtual training for four weeks from GoodPup, a subscription-based, virtual dog training service. The hope is the training will help the pet and the adoptive family to get to know one another better and faster, improving the shelter return rate. Schmidt said the grant is expected to last through 2025.

“It’s our hope that they’re able to get the basic information they need to build that bond with their pet, to work on things like manners, house training, teaching the dog how to sit, how to walk well on a leash, minor behavior that will really help that pet adjust to their new environment,” Schmidt said. “The ultimate goal in this training is to reduce the rate of return for minor behavior, or basic manners, to help a dog adjust in the home and help the family adjust.”

The shelter return rate in 2024 was nearly 13% with 325 dogs brought back by their adoptive families, officials said.

OC Animal Care will also host an adoption event each quarter with discounted adoption fees and resource booths. Families and individuals will be able to meet dogs, cats and other small animals that are up for adoption, as well as get pet-care advice from trainers. During the events, adoption fees will be $25.

“We do see an uptick in adoptions during large events,” Schmidt said. “The other thing is we can provide more resources and education opportunities during large events. That would be a huge goal for us to focus on during these, not just to increase our adoption numbers, but to also increase our ability to connect folks with resources and information when they’re adopting.”

The first adoption event of the year will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Jan. 25. More information on the adoption events and other pet programs can be found at ocpetinfo.com.

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