BY: Erika Allis- Owner, The Pet Patrol
EASTVALE – Many residents in Eastvale do not think about where our local shelter is or what to do if their pet goes missing until sadly, they lose a pet. Eastvale is situated between other cities as well as different counties so we are in a unique predicament. Riverside County Animal Services is who Eastvale contracts with for our animal services. Any stray pet or animal service need is handled by Riverside County. If a resident should lose their pet within our city limits and that pet has been picked up by Animal Services then the resident should go down in person to the Western Riverside County Shelter to claim their pet. The address to the shelter is 6851 Van Buren Blvd. Jurupa Valley, CA 92509 and their main number is 951-358-7387 (PETS).
What if your pet is found outside of Eastvale in a surrounding city such as Corona, Norco, Chino or Ontario? It can happen and very much so does happen. That is why you should check with all surrounding shelters and not only with Riverside County. If your pet has been found in Chino or Ontario (San Bernardino County) then your pet would be taken to Inland Valley Humane Society, 500 Humane Way, Pomona CA 91766. Their phone number is 909-623-9777. If your pet is found in the City of Corona then their shelter is located at 608 Harrington St. Corona, CA 92880 (951-736-2309) and for the City of Norco their shelter can be found at 98 Sixth St. Norco, CA 92860 (951-737-8972).
If your pet is microchipped (as mandated in City of Eastvale) then your pet could be scanned at any local vet, Petsmart or shelter and be reunited with owners fairly quickly. Please remember to register your pets microchip and keep it updated, you can get your pet microchipped for as low as $20. If you find a pet in Eastvale then you can take it any of these facilities mentioned and they can scan the animal for you. Pets that are wearing a collar with a tag containing identification information helps tremendously as well in locating owners, you can purchase a custom pet i.d. tag online for as low as $1.00.
Shelters do post online photos of many pets that they have listed as stray or found but as a pet owner, do not rely solely on the internet sites to look for your pet. Not all pets are listed online or with photos so you would need to go down in person to shelter and physically check with the animals there when looking for your lost pet. You can report your animal as lost and leave a flyer there at shelter and also handout flyers to local residents in your neighborhood and see if anyone has seen your pet. Social media plays a huge role in locating missing pets, many residents ask the City of Eastvale Facebooks page to post their pet, Eastvale News Page also posts photos of missing/found pets and there is an Eastvale Lost and Found Pet Facebook page. All these resources have helped to reunite many owners with their pets, do not rely on just one of these resources, use them all and check neighborhoods different times of day (especially for cats).
We as pet owners have a responsibility to our pets to ensure their safety and give them every chance at finding home should they become separated from us. Many pets are a part of our family and losing them is a families worst nightmare. Get your pet licensed, get your pet microchipped, put a tag on your pet, and make sure fences/gates are secured with a lock. A pets love is unconditional and unwavering, shouldn’t it go both ways?
