LA QUINTA – In May 2025, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors took a step in the direction of making Riverside County a “no-kill” community for county animal services by passing a resolution co-written by Supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez.

Now, according to Best Friends Animal Society, Riverside County animal services has seen the biggest drop in euthanasia in the nation in the last year.

Best Friends Animal Society data show that Riverside County achieved a 50.6 percent reduction in shelter pets euthanized in 2025 versus 2024. That is 1,700 more dogs and 860 more cats that were saved.

This also parallels the Riverside County Department of Animal Services annual report, which highlighted a 13 percent increase in animals adopted out of the shelters in 2025.

“These amazing results speak to all the work done to improve animal care in Riverside County,” said Supervisor Perez. “Thank you to the Department of Animal Services staff for your efforts. We still have work to do and I am proud of this progress.”

Supervisor Perez credits the initiatives that have been taken over the past year to find homes for shelter dogs and cats, which have been critical to tackling the challenging situations of overcrowding at animal shelters, an issue all animal shelters in the nation face.

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