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Weekend visitors at OC Animal Care in Tustin will have more time to walk around the kennels and meet the different dogs and cats starting this Saturday with the launch of multiple pilot programs.
Currently, the shelter has viewing hours daily from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Starting tomorrow, viewing hours on Saturdays and Sundays will begin at 12 p.m and last until 5 p.m.
The expanded hours are part of three new pilot programs expected to last for the next six months at the shelter as staff looks for new ways to increase adoptions.
Barbara Salamoff, a shelter volunteer, said the changes are for the better and she hopes the programs will bring in additional foot traffic, especially for people who aren’t familiar with OC Animal Care.
“I often see people arrive early in the day during our current hours of 2 to 5 p.m., only to be turned away and asked to return at 2 p.m.,” Salamoff said. “The extra weekend hours will accommodate more schedules and allow people to pop in and visit more easily.”
“Extended hours just create more opportunities for everyone,” she said.
OC Animal Care is open for adoption visits daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but visiting hours are the only time when the public can walk through the outdoor dog kennels and indoor cat rooms.
Outside the designated visiting hours, people must schedule an appointment and look through pet listings online.
“I’ve overheard guests in the lobby struggling to make a decision while looking at a website, waiting before the open walk-through visits,” Salamoff said. “Having the in-person experience with the dogs, even if it’s through kennel bars, is what sparks the connection.”
Sharon Logan, who works in animal rescuing and sued OC Animal Care in 2015 over euthanasia rates, said any step toward getting more animals seen is positive.
However, Logan said viewing hours should last until 7 p.m. on the weekends so people can have a later option to visit.
She also said allowing the public more time to walk through the facility helps improve transparency and accountability.
“Now, maybe there can be built a little more trust between the general public and the shelter system and the shelter management,” Logan said. “So it is a good thing.”
The shelter has faced harsh criticism for years about its accessibility to the public after the COVID-19 pandemic.
When businesses and municipalities began reopening after pandemic-related closures, the shelter was slow to return to standard operations.
Instead of fully reopening to the public, OC Animal Care implemented an appointment-based operation that prohibited visitors from walking through the kennel areas, prompting protests, petitions, a lawsuit and fear that the closed-off shelter was preventing adoptions and causing more euthanized pets.
[Read: Are Appointment-Only Policies in Animal Shelters Across America Driving Up Kill Rates?]
In July 2023, shelter staff launched a program that opened up some kennels for five hours each week. It was the first time the kennels were opened to public access since before the pandemic.
Then in January 2024, the shelter established its current viewing hours from 2 to 5 p.m.
[Read: OC Animal Shelter to Allow More In-Person Visitors]
According to the shelter’s 2024 statistics, 256 adult dogs were euthanized during the calendar year — about 6% of all adult dogs.
The kill rate for adult dogs has tripled since the current shelter location opened in 2018, according to the shelter’s data sheets published quarterly on its website. In 2018, the kill rate was right around 2%.
Alexa Pratt, spokesperson for OC Animal Care, said they’ve seen increased interest in viewing hours over the weekend since launching those hours last January.
“The decision was made to expand viewing hours during peak viewing days to blend the approach that sees more dogs adopted with feedback from the community,” Pratt wrote in a statement sent to Voice of OC.
She said shelter staff will evaluate the program’s success at the end of the six-month pilot program to see if the hours could be made permanent.
“Helping animals get adopted and stay out of the shelter is our priority,” she stated. “The goal for all of these pilot projects is to see more animals get adopted, reduce the return rate for animals being brought back to the shelter, and to provide pet parents with information and resources to help keep their pets at home.”
Other Programs: Free Virtual Dog Training & Discounted Adoption Events
The shelter is also launching two other pilot programs beginning tomorrow.
OC Animal Care recently received a $75,000 grant from California for All Animals for behavioral support services. The shelter is slated to use that funding for free virtual dog training resources for adopters.
Pratt said the funding was specific and restricted to behavioral support services. The program utilizes one-on-one calls with private trainers for short sessions to help train their dog and help prevent returning animals to the shelter.
“Both first time dog parents and experienced dog owners can build long-term success by addressing not only immediate issues with their new dog but set the dog up for continued good behavior throughout its life,” Pratt stated.
“With the right training and support, we hope that adopters develop a strong bond with their new canine companion and are more likely to feel capable of keeping the dog for the long term, minimizing the likelihood of return.”
The shelter will also be rolling out quarterly adoption events with discounted adoption fees and resource booths like “Ask a Trainer” and “Grooming Tips.”
“With discounted adoption fees and other fun, seasonal activities for the whole family, we hope the community will come join us and many of our amazing animals get adopted,” Pratt stated.
For more information about the pilot programs, click here. For more information about OC Animal Care, click here. Visit the pet adoptions page to see all available pets.
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
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