Animal advocates question safety of free, low-cost pet adoptions following alleged abuse of pit bull

Animal advocates are calling for increased scrutiny of pet adopters and an end to low-cost adoptions in the wake of allegations that a dog was mistreated after being taken from OC Animal Care during a free event in July.

“I want to make it so laws are changed,” said Breanna Dato, who volunteers with Live Love Animal Rescue of Long Beach. “Nobody should just be able to walk into a shelter and pay a small amount of money and leave with an animal. There should be screening, fingerprinting or even a photo taken.”

Dato had organized a protest for Saturday, Aug. 18 outside OC Animal Care to coincide with the shelter’s participation in the national “Clear the Shelters” event, during which animals can be adopted from the Orange County shelter at a sizable discount. Dog adoption generally is a minimum of $100. Leadership of the protest, she said, has since been taken over by other groups.

Valerie, a 5-year-old pit bull, was taken from the Tustin shelter for just a $27 rabies licensing fee. She had been housed at the shelter for three months before she was adopted in late July.

Two weeks later, on Aug. 6, she was found dying in a South Los Angeles neighborhood. Anaheim Hills-based Ghetto Rescue posted allegations of abuse on social media. Valerie’s case is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department Animal Cruelty Task Force.

OC Animal Care temporarily eliminated its adoption costs in July, at the time of Valerie’s adoption, because it had reached an 80 percent capacity. Adoptions are free until the shelter’s capacity dips below 60 percent, shelter officials said. The policy was put in place by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2016 as a way to cut down on euthanasia of unadopted animals.

The waiver includes removing typical adoption fees for services such as vaccines, spay surgery, licensing and microchipping.

Concern over the pit bull’s death and the manner of her adoption has led to criticism of mass, discounted adoptions in Southern California’s largest shelters.

Animal activists point to a trend among municipalities that pride themselves on having shelters with high adoption rates as measures of success in their fight against shelter overpopulation and high euthanasia rates. But the activists say this push for large-scale adoptions may not draw the most qualified and well-meaning adopters.

OC Animal Care did not return requests for comment on Thursday.

Since August 2017, OC Animal Care has adopted out 5,734 animals and by the end of 2018 will have held 32 adoption events in that time — seven free and 25 discounted, according to data from the organization. The shelter’s adoption policy includes internal database searches to make sure a potential adopter has not been suspected or convicted of animal offenses.

Following a decision Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors — prompted by the alleged abuse of Valerie — OC Animal Care will work with other Southern California animal control agencies to create a more comprehensive list of people suspected or convicted of animal offenses.

Adoption policies, however, vary by shelter.

At the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter, which has adopted out more than 200 dogs and 40 rabbits and small-breed animals this year, dogs are evaluated by a trainer and adopters are matched with the dog’s requirements. Prior to adoption, staff meets with all family members as well as other pets already in the home, said Kim Cholodenko, the shelter’s manager. Once the dog is adopted, trainers stay in contact with the family.

Some rescue groups can be even more vigilant. Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, for example, meets with all potential adopter family members and their pets, conducts a home check to make sure the yard and home are suitable for the dog, and asks for a $300 adoption donation.

“We make sure that all information on the adoption application is correct,” said Tiffany Norton, who oversees the rescue group. “We make phone calls to landlords, property management companies and veterinarians. We do our very best to make sure we know exactly where and who our animals are being adopted to and that it’s the right fit for the adopter.”

The group also offers obedience classes and follows up with adopters to ensure a smooth transition.

“I feel free adoption events are negligent when done by a city or county shelter where they are unable to take the crucial steps to make sure the placement is responsibly done,” Norton said.

However, Norton said she understands why shelters participate in these events, given the quantity of unwanted animals they house.

“Instead of looking at these events as a way to clear the cages,” she said, “let’s look at them as ways to educate and bring adopters in to understand the big picture so we can attempt to make lasting change.”

Lasting change is what Judie Mancuso, founder of Social Compassion in Legislation, wants. Her nonprofit group, which is dedicated to animal welfare, rights and protection, was successful in sponsoring legislation to shut down puppy mills and allowing only shelter rescues in pet stores in California. The law goes into effect in January 2019.

“The rescue community has been complaining about the ‘giveaways’ for a long time,” said Mancuso, of Laguna Beach.

“People who can’t afford a dog adopt them and then they can’t pay for medical bills or feed them and they come back into the system,” she said. “If they’re free and someone wants them for sex abuse or to fight them, they can’t get away with it. We have to protect animals as much as we can. There can’t be any more giveaways.”