Ridgecrest Animal Care & Control

Bruno Pet ID: 12-463	Creme Pet ID: KC13-59

We have passed the half-way mark of our goal to purchase the Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic. This will help the animals by doing spay/neuter at a lower cost. This will also help the animals by making more appointments available. Please make a donation using the secure Paypal button above and specify "Mobile Clinic." Or you may make a donation by check payable to the IWV Humane Society. Call Ridgecrest Animal Shelter for more information.

ADOPTIONS AT DESERT DOG PET STORE

Starting February 9th, 2013, and every 2nd Saturday of every month, Desert Dog Pet Store and Dog Wash will have Shelter dogs and cats for adoption. Desert Dog is located at 211 N Balsam St. They also have a self-serve dog wash, buy 5, get one free. Their hours are Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday, 9am-7pm, Sunday 11am-6pm. Contact info: 760-375-7007, info@DesertDogPetStore.com, www.DesertDogPetStore.com.

MARCH

With continued assistance for spay/neuter, the Humane Society hopes to greatly reduce the overpopulation of pets. The Humane Society and the Ridgecrest Animal Shelter are having a low-cost spay/neuter event day on Tuesday, March 19th. This is by appointment only and participants must pay a cash copay in advance, at the Animal Shelter. Vaccinations and microchips are also available from 10 am to 5 pm. No appointment is needed for vaccines and microchips and credit cards are accepted. PLEASE PASS THE WORD!

19th ---- DISCOUNT SPAY/NEUTER and VACCINE/MICROCHIP CLINIC

DOG fix	$60
CAT fix	$25
Dog combo vaccine	$13
Cat combo vaccine	$13
Rabies vaccine	$9
Microchip with lifetime registration	$20

Ridgecrest Animal Shelter Discount Clinic Hosted by the IWV Humane Society Tuesday, March 19, 2013 760-499-5190 Vaccinations/Microchips 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. No appointment needed – Pay at the Clinic (credit cards accepted at the Clinic) Tuesday, March 19, 2013 Distemper/Parvo $13 Feline FVR-CP $13 Rabies $ 9 Microchip $20 Sorry, spay/neuter appointments are already filled for March

• toys
• cookie jars
• Kaiden Visits the Animal Shelter coloring book by Merrie Giles
• small dog fleece coats

  Remember, proceeds benefit the shelter animals and community spay/neuter progams.

Come on down to the shelter, pick out your new best friend, and fill out an adoption application. The adoption fee covers the spay or neuter, current vaccines including rabies, a city license (if applicable), an AVID microchip with lifetime registration, some toys, a new pet DVD, and a small bag of Science Diet.

The shelter schedules the spay/neuter and on the day of surgery does the vaccines and microchip. Then your new best friend is transported to the vet in the Animal Control Van. The vet does the surgery and rabies vaccine. In the afternoon, YOU pick up your pet at the vet. The shelter only uses one vet.

The usual adoption fees (unless we have a "special") are:

• $88 for male dogs and $99 for female dogs.
• $49.50 for male cats and $59 for female cats.
• If the pet was already microchipped when it arrived at the shelter, there is a small transfer fee so the microchip company knows that you are the new owner.

Kind News, online and a newpaper intended for classroom use, K-6 National Geographic Animals for Kids Cat Care Dog Care

We believe the answer to pet overpopulation is prevention of unwanted litters of kittens and puppies. By performing a relatively simple surgery, we can put an end to the suffering that irresponsible pet owners and puppy mill breeders have created resulting in so many unwanted litters.

Indian Wells Valley Humane Society	April 16th ---- DISCOUNT SPAY/NEUTER and VACCINE/MICROCHIP CLINIC DOG fix $60 CAT fix $25 Dog combo vaccine $13 Cat combo vaccine $13 Rabies vaccine $9 Microchip with lifetime registration $20 CALL NOW for spay/neuter info and to make an appointment. The vaccines and microchips are "walk-in" from 10a-5p. The mobile clinic will be parked at the Ridgecrest Animal Shelter. 760-499-5190
Kern Humane Society	KHS provides vouchers for low-income residents. KHS vouchers can be used in conjunction with the Bakersfield SPCA/HOPE Foundation program or, with the Alpha Canine Sanctuary vouchers at a local vet office. Vouchers are only issued on the first Saturday of every month from 10 am to 3 pm. Limit of two vouchers per household every 3 months. You must be there in person or call Sue Bennet at the Kern Humane Society for instructions on how to have them mailed to you. Their thrift shop is in Bakersfield. 2111 Brundage Ln. 661-325-2589
The Cat People	The Cat People Organization provides 1 voucher per month per household in Kern County. Call them on the FIRST of the month as the vouchers go very quickly. Leave message if they are not answering. They WILL call you back. 661-327-4706.
Alpha Canine Sanctuary	Alpha provides $30 vouchers for any low-income Kern County resident (some restrictions apply). These vouchers can be used in combination with the Kern Humane Society vouchers at a local vet office or for the Bakersfield SPCA and HOPE Foundation program. P.O. Box 5517 Bakersfield, CA 93388, 661-391-8212
Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation	Free vouchers worth $40 with no income requirements. The voucher can be used towards the spay or neuter of any pet. Friends vouchers are limited to 2 per household per year. A very limited number of vouchers will be available each month, and will be available on a first come first serve basis. Vouchers cannot be used in conjunction with Kern County Animal Control vouchers. Vouchers CAN be combined with Kern Humane vouchers (above), and at most vets in Kern County but call vets first to confirm. Both Indian Wells Veterinary Hospital and VCA Crestwood Animal Hospital in Ridgecrest accept the Friends vouchers. Friends Foundation, P.O. Box 11494, Bakersfield, CA 93389, 661-472-6191, fkcasf@gmail.com
Kern County Animal Control	If you are low income, try for one of KCAC's vouchers. You pay $20 and they pay the rest. These are issued at the Licensing Clinics on the third Saturday of the month. If there is no clinic on the third Saturday, KCAC vouchers will be issued at the shelter on Mt. Vernon. Call 661-321-3000 for directions or information.
San Bernardino and Riverside Counties	POPCO (the Pet Overpopulation Coalition) provides vouchers for cats and dogs. 3 vouchers are provided at a time. When the vouchers are used, you can get 3 more. 888-767-2550
Tehachapi Humane Society	THS has vouchers in varying amounts and can be used for residents of Tehachapi, Keene, Hart Flat, Caliente, Mojave, California City, Rosamond, Boron and North Edwards. 21600 Golden Star, Unit #3 661-823-0699 ext. 1
Inyo County	ICARE of the Eastern Sierra is the Inyo County Spay & Neuter Resource for domestic pets as well as feral cats
FIX YOUR PIT	Fortress Self Storage provides vouchers for any Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix. Vouchers are $40 each and cover the entire cost of spay or neuter & rabies shot. Vouchers must be used at selected local vets only. 3813 Mesa Grande Bakersfield, CA 93304, 661-831-0923.

• Q: At what age does my dog need a rabies vaccine?
• A: Dogs are required to get their rabies vaccine at 4 month of age. Their first vaccine will be good for 1 year. After that the rabies vaccines are good for 3 years.
  
  
• Q: Does my dog need a license since it never leaves the yard?
• A: Yes. All dogs 4 months of age and older regardless if they leave your property are required by law to have a dog license and they are required to wear it on their collar.
  
  
• Q: What is a microchip?
• A: A microchip is a very small chip injected under the animals skin. It contains a personal identification number that should your pet get lost or stolen, it can be scanned by a shelter or veterinarian hospital and the pet’s owner can be contacted.
  
  
• Q: Are animals required to be micro-chipped?
• A: No. But the microchip does help your pet should it get lost or stolen because a shelter or veterinarian can contact you as soon as your pet enters their facility.
  
  
• Q: My dog is pretty well trained, do I need a leash when I take him for a walk or if I am working in my front yard.
• A: There is a leash law in the city and county. The leash law states that you must have the dog on a leash or rope at all times unless it is confined securely behind a fence.
  
  
• Q: Can I chain my dog to a tree or post?
• A: Yes, but for no more than 3 hours. However you can have your dog on a cabled runner line all day as long as he /she has shelter from the elements, fresh cool water and fed fresh food daily.
  
  
• Q: What should I do if I find a stray dog or cat?
• A: Contact the shelter to find out if anyone has called missing the pet. If you wish to hang on to the animal until an owner is located, leave your name and number with the shelter so they can give it to the animal owner should they call.
  
  
• Q: Can I keep an animal if it shows up at my house?
• A: You can keep the animal at your home while you try to locate the animal’s owner as long as you’ve contacted the shelter. Otherwise, if you don’t make the necessary effort to locate the animals owner first you can be in violation of stolen property if you just keep the animal. Animals are personal property and you can’t just claim it as your own until the animal has been unclaimed for 14 days.
  
  
• Q: If I find an animal after the shelter is closed what should I do with it?
• A: If you find an animal after hours or on Sundays when the shelter is closed you should keep the animal confined until the shelter reopens. If the animal is sick, injured or vicious then you can call your local police or sheriff’s department and they will contact an Animal Control Officer to handle it. Never leave an animal you’ve found at the shelter after it’s closed or take it somewhere else and release it. This is considered abandonment and you can be charged with a misdemeanor.
  
  
• Q: My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat and sometimes like to visit the neighbors, is this ok ?
• A: Cats will wander and sometimes go further than just around the neighborhood. There is no leash law on cats, however cats can be a nuisance to your neighbors and they have every right to capture your cat and bring it to the shelter. Cats are much safer living indoors. Your cat is better protected from cars, loose dogs and feral cats if they are kept inside.
  
  
• Q: I have feral/wild cats or stray/tame cats in my neighborhood. I don't want to bring them into the shelter, I just want to help them. What can I do?
• A: TNR is a term that you may have heard. TNR means TRAP, NEUTER, RETURN. The theory is that once ferals or strays are returned to their original location that the overall population will decrease over time. Since they have been successfully living there, and they are doing you a favor by eating vermin, it should become a win-win parnership. The Ridgecrest Animal Shelter and the Indian Wells Valley Humane Society are seeking funding to support TNR of feral cats in our community.
  
  
• Q: I like animals and would like to help the shelter, do you take volunteers?
• A: Yes! All of our volunteers go though the police department’s PACT (police and citizens together) program. You must be at least 18 years old to volunteer . See the Volunteer section.
  

If you want to volunteer at the shelter, you need to be at least 18 and a member of PACT (Police and Community Together). There are also a few school programs. You can get a PACT application (like a job app) at the shelter or at the police department. Please contact Mary Stage, Shelter Supervisor, and PACT .

• kennel volunteers (cat and dog pens, feeding...)
• pet laundry (machines at the shelter)
• data entry
• exercising pooches in the play yard
• bathing and grooming
• someone qualified to do pet videos
• data entry for the petfinder site
• "yard checks" for adoption application process
• special event volunteers
• a driver to occasionally shuttle pets to and from the vet (for spay/neuter) when the owner has no transportation - the van provided by the shelter
• qualified foster homes

  Please contact mStage@ci.Ridgecrest.ca.us for more information on volunteering.

Meet Tommy, who was serving community service as the shelter's official greeter. He was busted by Animal Control Officer ''Tina'' for jay-walking in Ridgecrest Boulevard. He now lives at a home for wayward Desert Tortoises.

Help us reach our goal to purchase a mobile veterinary medical unit. Your donation is tax deductible. Please make your check payable to the IWV Humane Society. Call the supervisor, Mary Stage, at Ridgecrest Animal Shelter for details.

• Lots of canned cat and dog food!
• gift cards/certificates from Walmart, KMART, PetsMart/Petco (for feed), Staples (always need office supplies), etc. Gift cards are available at stores, websites, or at other retailers such as Albertsons
• bleach, papertowels, towels, vinegar
• new microwave for the staff breakroom THANKS!
• color printer so we can print the pet list with pictures for high-traffic locations THANKS!
• Digital photo frames(s) for animal friendly, high-traffic businesses (restaurants, car dealerships, ?

Please bring to the shelter at 411 San Bernardino Blvd. Mary will give you a tax receipt if you ask. Tell your friends!

Donate your Unused Dog House

If you have a dog house that you no longer need or use, please consider donating it to the shelter. We will see that it goes to a pet in the community that is without shelter.

• Mary Stage, Shelter Supervisor
• Candice Robbs, Animal Control Officer
• Francisco Perez, Animal Control Officer
• Kim, Kennel Attendant
  
  
• Volunteers from PACT (Police and Community Together)
• We also receive the support of several community animal charities, animal friendly businesses, and generous individuals who donate time, funds, feed, photo services, web site/shelter software support...

Also see
• The Pet Ordinances
• The Services that Animal Control provides to the public
• Some of our cats and dogs available for adoption in the Sunday Edition of the Daily Independent in the Paws and Claws section.

Our hours of operation are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 11am - 5pm Saturday: 10am - 4pm Closed on Thursday, Sunday & Holidays

So where in the HECK is Ridgecrest?

Ridgecrest is the town outside Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake in the high Mojave Desert. It is about 3 hours N of Los Angeles, about 4 hours S of Mammoth Mountain, 2 hours E of Bakersfield, and 1.5 hours NNE of Lancaster/Edwards Air Force Base. If that still doesn't do it for you, pull up the mapquest map below!

Ridgecrest Animal Shelter
411 San Bernardino Blvd.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Phone: 760-499-5190

Email: mStage@ci.ridgecrest.ca.us
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter